Tinubu Demands Answers Over Death of 37 Miners in Niger NSCDC Custody

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a full-scale, transparent investigation into the deaths of 37 artisanal miners who reportedly died while being detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.

The miners had been arrested during an NSCDC enforcement operation around the Lt.-Gen. Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate in Minna over allegations of illegal mining.

Reacting to the incident, Tinubu said the reported deaths constituted “a grave matter requiring urgent investigation and accountability.”

According to a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by Presidential Spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, the President insisted that the government’s campaign against illegal mining must not come at the expense of citizens’ fundamental rights.

“While the Federal Government would continue to combat illegal mining and other criminal activities across the country, enforcement operations must be conducted strictly within the law,” Tinubu said.

“They must also be carried out with full respect for the dignity and fundamental rights of every person in custody.”

The President stressed that being suspected of illegal mining did not deprive the detainees of their right to life or humane treatment.

“The fact that these individuals were suspected illegal miners does not in any way remove their right to life, dignity and humane treatment while in government custody,” he said.

Tinubu warned that officials found to have contributed to the deaths through abuse, negligence or other actions would face legal consequences.

“Government will not tolerate mass deaths arising from official negligence, dereliction of duty or failure by public officials to protect the lives placed under their care.

“Where the investigation establishes that any official, through action, abuse or negligence, contributed to these deaths, such an officer must be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

“There must be accountability,” Tinubu said.

The President ordered investigators to leave no aspect of the incident unexplored. The probe is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the arrests, the condition of the detainees at the time they were taken into custody, the conditions under which they were detained, the number of people held at the facility, the medical attention available to them and what happened before the deaths.

He also directed the Ministry of Interior and the NSCDC leadership to cooperate fully with the investigation and ordered that no officer should interfere with the process or attempt to frustrate efforts to establish the truth.

Tinubu cautioned that the suspension of officers would not be enough if evidence showed that criminal responsibility had been established.

“The suspension of officers is only an administrative step and must not substitute proper determination of criminal responsibility where the evidence warrants prosecution,” he said.

The President extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the repose of their souls. He appealed for calm among the affected families and communities, promising that the Federal Government would pursue the truth and act on credible evidence from the investigation.

“We must never allow the pursuit of one form of illegality to create another. The government must enforce the law firmly, but it must also obey the law.

“The sanctity of human life is non-negotiable,” he stressed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 37 artisanal miners died in NSCDC custody in Minna following a recent enforcement operation in parts of Niger State.

NAN further reports that Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo ordered the immediate suspension of the NSCDC Commandant in Niger, Suberu Aniviye, over the incident.

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