ADC Questions Tinubu Govt Over Deaths Of 37 Suspected Illegal Miners In NSCDC Custody | Sahara Reporters

The victims were among suspects arrested during NSCDC operations against illegal mining in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.

The African Democratic Congress has questioned the Tinubu administration over the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State, demanding an independent and transparent investigation into the incident.

In a statement on Friday signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC demanded independent autopsies, the release of the identities and detention records of the deceased, compensation for their families and prosecution of any officials found responsible for the deaths.

The victims were among suspects arrested during NSCDC operations against illegal mining in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.

The NSCDC said the detainees were found dead in the early hours of September 17 following what its state command described as a suspected disease outbreak, but the Corps later said the actual cause of death had not been established and was subject to medical examination.

The ADC said the deaths raised questions about the treatment of citizens held in government custody, insisting that arrest over alleged illegal mining did not remove the detainees’ rights to life, dignity and due process.

“Thirty-seven Nigerians entered government custody alive. Their families are now being asked to receive their bodies,” the party said, arguing that the circumstances required the government to establish what happened to the detainees while they were under state control.

The party also challenged the Nigerian Government to explain how citizens arrested during enforcement operations against illegal mining ended up dead within days of their detention.

The ADC linked the incident to wider economic pressures facing Nigerians, arguing that unemployment and the rising cost of living had pushed some people into dangerous and informal means of earning a living.

It said the government should address the conditions driving vulnerable Nigerians into such activities while enforcing laws against illegal mining.

The party further questioned the government’s approach to illegal mining, alleging that enforcement operations often target poorer miners while those who finance or control illegal mining networks remain difficult to prosecute.

“Poverty is not a capital offence. Unemployment is not a death sentence,” the ADC said, adding that no allegation against a detainee should prevent security agencies from protecting the person’s life and dignity.

The call came as authorities began separate investigations into the deaths. The Federal Government ordered a full investigation and suspended the NSCDC commandant in Niger State, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, while the NSCDC constituted an investigative team to examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The Niger State Government also constituted a committee of inquiry to establish the cause and circumstances of the deaths, while the bodies were deposited at the General Hospital in Minna for medical examination. Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago also declared three days of mourning for the victims.

The ADC urged the government to make the findings of the investigations public and ensure that anyone found to have violated the rights of the detainees faces appropriate legal consequences.

The cause of the deaths remains under investigation, with medical examinations and official probes expected to determine what happened to the suspects while they were in NSCDC custody.