The deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have triggered a major investigation, public anger and calls for accountability in Niger State.
The men were arrested during operations against suspected illegal mining around the Lt. Gen. Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate and other areas of Minna on September 15 and 16.
The NSCDC said 67 suspects were taken into custody. On September 17, 37 of them were found dead.
The first explanation from the NSCDC was that the deaths could have been caused by a suspected disease outbreak. That explanation was immediately questioned by survivors, families and members of the public.
Surviving detainees said the suspects were held in an overcrowded and poorly ventilated cell. They alleged that people struggled to breathe and that the deaths were linked to suffocation.
Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago said investigators were examining overcrowding, possible suffocation and possible exposure to dangerous substances connected with mining.
The governor also said medical teams had collected samples from the bodies to establish what happened. Reports about unusual physical signs on some of the bodies have added to calls for a proper forensic examination.
Families of some victims have also accused security personnel of mistreatment.
Relatives told investigators and journalists that some of the detainees were allegedly beaten or poorly treated before their deaths. The allegations remain subject to investigation.
One family said a young man who was arrested while returning home was later found dead in custody.
The controversy has also raised questions about how 67 people could have been held in one detention facility and whether there was adequate ventilation, medical care, food, water and supervision.
Babangida dragged into controversy
The incident took another turn after a survivor allegedly claimed that the gold mining site where some of the men worked belonged to former military Head of State Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.
The survivor reportedly alleged that Babangida had told miners to continue working at the site.
Babangida has strongly denied the allegation.
The former military ruler said the claim that he owned the mining site was false and without foundation. His representatives demanded that the report be corrected.
Babangida also rejected any suggestion that he was connected to the mining operation.
The former Head of State has separately condemned the deaths of the miners and called for an investigation into what happened.
The controversy surrounding his name therefore remains an allegation from a survivor and has been expressly denied by Babangida. There is no established finding from the ongoing investigation that he owned the site or directed the miners to work there.
Government suspends 21 NSCDC officers
The Federal Government has suspended the Niger State NSCDC commandant and 20 other officers connected with the arrests and detention.
The suspended officers include personnel involved in arrest operations, investigations, legal duties, station guard duties and those assigned to guard the detainees.
The Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, also established a 10 member independent committee to investigate the deaths.
The committee is headed by retired DSS Deputy Director General Jonathan Kure.
Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma is the secretary.
Other members include retired Assistant Inspector General of Police Hosea Hassan Karma, Professor Olayinka Buhari, representatives of the Minna Emirate Council and Niger State Government, a representative of the Miners Association of Nigeria, lawyer and human rights activist Deji Adeyanju, journalist Zainab Suleiman Okino and public affairs analyst George Agbakahi.
The committee has two weeks to complete its work.
Its mandate includes identifying the victims, examining the arrests and detention, determining the cause and circumstances of the deaths and establishing whether negligence, misconduct or other wrongdoing occurred.
The government has also ordered that all records and evidence connected to the incident be preserved.
Tinubu demands accountability
President Bola Tinubu ordered a full and transparent investigation after the deaths became public.
The President said being suspected of illegal mining did not remove the detainees’ right to life, dignity and humane treatment.
He directed investigators to examine the circumstances of the arrests, the condition of the detainees when they arrived, the number of people held in the facility, the detention conditions, medical care and events immediately before the deaths.
The President also said that if investigators establish that an official contributed to the deaths through abuse or negligence, that person should face prosecution.
He warned that the suspension of officers must not replace a proper investigation into possible criminal responsibility.
Protests erupt in Minna
The deaths sparked demonstrations in Minna.
Young people, relatives of the victims and others gathered near the NSCDC office to demand answers.
Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters as tension rose.
The state government later imposed a 12 hour curfew after violence was reported during the protests.
The demonstrations added another layer to the crisis, with protesters demanding justice and rejecting explanations that they believed had not adequately accounted for the deaths.
Amnesty International condemns treatment of protesters
Amnesty International also condemned the alleged killing of two protesters in Minna following the demonstrations.
The organisation called for an investigation into the use of force against protesters.
The development has widened concern beyond the deaths inside the NSCDC facility to the handling of public protests that followed the incident.
Nigerian Bar Association demands answers
The Nigerian Bar Association has opened its own fact finding process.
The NBA appointed a team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Jonathan Gunu Taidi to independently examine the arrests, detention and deaths.
The association said it would engage the families of the dead, surviving detainees and their relatives, as well as relevant authorities.
It also called for evidence to be preserved, proper forensic and medical examinations to be carried out and surviving detainees and witnesses to be protected from intimidation.
The NBA said the deaths of 37 people while in government custody required a thorough, independent and transparent investigation.
Peter Obi demands accountability
Former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate Peter Obi condemned the deaths and demanded answers.
Obi said the detainees remained entitled to humane treatment regardless of the allegations against them.
He called for an investigation and accountability over what happened inside the detention facility.
Former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar calls for probe
Former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar also condemned the deaths.
He called for an in depth investigation to establish exactly how the 37 people died and urged authorities to take steps to prevent another tragedy.
Abdulsalami described the deaths as a painful loss to the victims’ families, their communities, Niger State and Nigeria.
He also called for stronger safety measures at mining sites and urged authorities to support the affected families.
Political party demands justice
The Peoples Redemption Party has demanded justice for the victims and called for an independent inquiry.
The party said anyone found responsible should be prosecuted.
It also linked the incident to wider concerns about security, governance and protection of citizens in the North Central and North West regions.
National Human Rights Commission begins inquiry
The National Human Rights Commission has also commenced a preliminary investigation.
Its involvement adds a human rights dimension to the wider government investigation, particularly concerning detention conditions and the treatment of suspects while in custody.
Northern senators call for investigation
The Northern Senators Forum has joined calls for a thorough investigation into the deaths.
The forum is among the groups demanding that the circumstances surrounding the arrests, detention and deaths be properly established.
What investigators must establish
Several major questions remain unanswered.
Investigators must establish why 67 people were held in the facility, whether the detention area was suitable for that number of people, whether adequate ventilation was available and whether detainees received sufficient food, water and medical attention.
They must also determine when the victims began showing signs of illness or distress, whether security officers noticed the condition of the detainees and what action was taken.
Another key question is whether any detainees were exposed to toxic substances before their arrest or while in custody.
The medical and forensic examinations are expected to provide important evidence.
Investigators must also examine allegations of beating and mistreatment made by families and survivors.
Illegal mining remains a wider problem
The deaths occurred against the background of a wider government campaign against illegal mining.
Authorities have repeatedly said illegal mining poses security and economic problems in parts of Nigeria.
But the government has also acknowledged that enforcement must comply with the law and respect the rights of people taken into custody.
The Niger incident has therefore raised a difficult question for authorities: how to fight illegal mining while ensuring that suspects remain safe and are treated humanely after arrest.
Investigation now under way
For now, the exact medical cause of the 37 deaths has not been conclusively established publicly.
The disease outbreak explanation initially offered by the NSCDC is being examined alongside claims of suffocation, overcrowding, poor ventilation, mistreatment and possible exposure to dangerous substances.
The allegation linking Babangida to ownership of the mining site has also been denied by the former military Head of State.
The government investigation, the NSCDC inquiry, the National Human Rights Commission review and the Nigerian Bar Association fact finding process are expected to shed more light on the tragedy.
The central demand from families, rights groups and prominent Nigerians remains the same: establish exactly what happened, identify anyone responsible and provide answers to the families of the 37 people who died in custody.
