The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and the Nigerian chapter of Transparency International, has called for an independent and transparent investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.
The organisation also demanded accountability for any officers or officials found responsible for the deaths, including possible prosecution where investigations establish criminal liability.
The victims were among scores of people arrested during NSCDC operations targeting suspected illegal mining activities in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Minna on September 15 and 16, 2026. Their deaths were discovered in the early hours of September 17.
CISLAC Condemns Deaths in Custody
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, CISLAC expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and said allegations of illegal mining should not justify detention conditions that endanger people’s lives or dignity.
The organisation stressed that people in state custody retain fundamental rights, including the right to life and protection from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
CISLAC said the circumstances surrounding the deaths must therefore be established through a process that is independent, transparent and capable of identifying individual and institutional responsibility.
Suspension of NSCDC Commandant Not Enough, Group Says
CISLAC acknowledged measures already announced by authorities, including the suspension of the Niger State NSCDC Commandant and other officers, as well as investigations into the incident.
However, the organisation said administrative action would only be meaningful if the wider investigation establishes what happened inside the detention facility and determines whether any officials failed in their duties.
It called for the National Human Rights Commission, civil society representatives and forensic experts to participate in the investigation.
CISLAC also demanded that relevant detention records and medical reports be made public, subject to applicable legal and privacy requirements.
Illegal Mining and Poverty
Beyond the immediate circumstances of the deaths, CISLAC linked illegal mining to broader socioeconomic challenges.
According to the organisation, poverty, unemployment, limited access to education, insecurity, weak social protection and regulatory failures can push vulnerable families and children into dangerous mining activities.
It argued that the incident should therefore prompt a wider review of Nigeria’s mining regulation and enforcement systems.
The organisation said enforcement efforts must address illegal mining while also protecting vulnerable communities from exploitation.
CISLAC Recalls Zamfara Mining Research
CISLAC also referenced its earlier research, “Gold and Graves: Zamfara Lead Poisoning and the Failure of Regulatory Oversight,” which examined the consequences of unsafe mining practices and weak regulatory oversight in Zamfara State.
The organisation said the lessons from the Zamfara experience remain relevant, particularly regarding the need for stronger regulation and protection of communities affected by mining activities.
It argued that effective enforcement should combine accountability with measures that address the underlying vulnerabilities driving people into hazardous mining work.
Group Demands Better Detention Conditions
CISLAC further called for immediate improvements in detention facilities across Nigeria.
Its demands include adequate ventilation, access to medical care, sufficient food and water, and compliance with established detention-capacity and human-rights standards.
The organisation also called for appropriate compensation, psychosocial support and other forms of redress for the families of the deceased and survivors.
Calls for Prosecution Where Criminal Liability Is Established
CISLAC said administrative sanctions should not replace criminal accountability where investigations establish unlawful conduct.
It therefore called for the prosecution of any officer or official found to have contributed to the deaths through negligence, abuse of power or other unlawful actions.
At the same time, the organisation’s call is for accountability to follow the evidence established by an independent investigation.
“The Nigerian state has a sacred duty to protect the lives of all citizens, including those in its custody. Anything less erodes public trust and the rule of law,” CISLAC said.
The organisation said it would continue monitoring developments and engaging relevant authorities to push for institutional reforms, stronger regulatory oversight and accountability over the incident.
What the Investigation Needs to Establish
The calls from CISLAC place several questions at the centre of the investigation:
- What were the precise causes of the 37 deaths?
- What were the conditions inside the detention facility?
- How many detainees were held in the facility at the time?
- Were medical personnel available to examine detainees?
- Were complaints about illness, overcrowding or ventilation recorded?
- What medical and forensic evidence exists?
- Which officers were responsible for the facility and detainees?
- Were established detention standards followed?
- Were any detainees wrongly arrested or held without sufficient legal basis?
- Did negligence or unlawful conduct contribute to any of the deaths?
Answering these questions with verifiable evidence will be critical to determining individual responsibility and identifying any institutional failures.
Why the Minna Deaths Raise Wider Questions
The deaths have moved the issue beyond the enforcement of mining regulations to questions about how the Nigerian state treats people in custody.
Illegal mining is a serious regulatory and environmental concern. However, allegations against detainees do not remove the state’s responsibility for their safety once they are detained.
That makes the investigation important on two levels: establishing what happened to the 37 people who died and determining whether weaknesses in Nigeria’s detention, mining-enforcement and regulatory systems contributed to the tragedy.
For CISLAC, accountability must therefore extend beyond individual sanctions to reforms capable of preventing similar incidents in the future.
