Niger Miners' Deaths: Families Demand Justice and Accountability

Families of the 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State have demanded justice, accountability and compensation.

The bereaved families, who spoke to journalists on Friday, September 25, said they were denied access to their relatives after the men were arrested during anti-illegal-mining operations.

According to the families, relatives who went to the NSCDC office to see the detainees or take food to them were repeatedly turned away or asked to return later, before they were eventually informed that some of the detainees had died.

Some relatives also alleged that the bodies were left for hours before being removed from an ambulance at the General Hospital in Minna. They further claimed that some of the corpses had foam and blood around their mouths.

The allegations have raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the deaths, including the conditions in which the detainees were held, whether they received medical attention and what caused their deaths.

However, no official cause of death has been established. A medical team attached to the Federal Government's Independent Committee of Inquiry has commenced work to determine the cause, mechanism and manner of the deaths.

The 37 people died on September 17, 2026, while in NSCDC custody, after they had been arrested during operations against suspected illegal mining in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.

The Federal Government subsequently constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the incident. The committee is chaired by retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, while Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, serves as secretary.

The committee is expected to establish the identities of the deceased, determine the immediate and remote causes of their deaths and investigate the circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention.

Its mandate also includes determining whether negligence, misconduct, complicity or any breach of duty occurred and recommending appropriate disciplinary measures and compensation where applicable.

The committee's medical team has already begun its work and is expected to examine evidence and engage with survivors, suspects and other people with relevant information. The panel has also said it will visit relevant locations, engage government agencies and gather documents and other materials needed to establish the facts.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has suspended the NSCDC Niger State Commandant and officers linked to the incident pending the outcome of the investigation.

Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has also inaugurated a separate nine-member judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

One of the bereaved relatives, 63-year-old Musa Aliyu, said he lost two sons, Ibrahim, 17, and Abubakar, 12.

Aliyu, who said he had been bedridden for more than a year, said his sons had helped support the family and pay for his medication through proceeds from artisanal mining.

He said the family became concerned after the two boys failed to return home and relatives were informed that they had been arrested by NSCDC officers.

“When we went there, we could not see them. Later, we were told they were dead,” he said.

Aliyu said the family later identified the bodies at the General Hospital in Minna.

Another bereaved father, Lawal Muhammed, said his 15-year-old son, Suleiman, was among those who died.

Muhammed alleged that he and other parents went to the NSCDC office after learning that their children had been arrested but were asked to return the following day.

He said that when they returned with food for the detainees, they were informed that his son had died.

Muhammed called for an investigation and prosecution of any officers found responsible.

Another relative, Muhammad Musa, said he lost his 17-year-old nephew, Abubakar. He alleged that relatives were prevented from entering the NSCDC office when they sought information about the detainees.

The families have called for accountability and compensation, saying those responsible should be identified and prosecuted if wrongdoing is established.

Some families have also rejected a reported ₦100,000 payment from the Niger State Government, saying they wanted justice and accountability rather than what they viewed as an attempt to silence them.

The investigations by the Federal Government and Niger State are expected to establish what happened to the detainees between their arrest and deaths and determine whether any individual or institution bears responsibility.