President Bola Tinubu has ordered a full and transparent investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State.
The President also directed that any official found to have contributed to the deaths be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Tinubu gave the directive on Friday in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, saying the deaths required urgent investigation and accountability.
He said no Nigerian should die in government custody as a result of negligence, abuse, inhumane treatment or dereliction of duty.
“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,” the President said.
Tinubu directed investigators to examine the circumstances surrounding the arrests, the condition of the detainees when they were taken into custody, the conditions in which they were held, the number of people detained at the facility, the medical attention provided and the events leading to their deaths.
Tinubu also stressed that the fact that the detainees were suspected of illegal mining did not remove their right to life, dignity and humane treatment while in custody.
Tinubu warned that the suspension of officers must not replace a determination of criminal responsibility where evidence warrants prosecution.
“The suspension of officers is only an administrative step and must not substitute for a proper determination of criminal responsibility where the evidence warrants prosecution,” he said.
The deaths occurred after suspected illegal miners were arrested during NSCDC enforcement operations around the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, said 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners had been detained in an NSCDC cell before 37 died in custody.
Bago said the cause of death had not been scientifically established, adding that investigators were examining possible suffocation from overcrowding and exposure to hazardous substances associated with mining.
Forensic, medical and biological examinations, including autopsies, are being conducted to determine the cause of the deaths.
The Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered a full-scale investigation, while the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, was suspended pending the probe.
The President directed the Ministry of Interior and NSCDC leadership to cooperate fully with investigators and ensure that no officer interferes with the process.
He also appealed for calm among the families and communities affected by the deaths, assuring them that the government would pursue the truth and take appropriate action based on credible evidence.
