Miners' Deaths: Civil Society Group Demands Prosecution of NSCDC Officers
- The National Civil Society Council of Nigeria held an emergency press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, to react to a federal government panel report
- The panel investigated the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners held at an NSCDC detention facility in Minna, Niger State
- NCSCN called for the dismissal and prosecution of culpable NSCDC officers and demanded a special intervention fund for detention facilities nationwide
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FCT, Abuja - The National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN) has publicly condemned the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) over the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died in a detention facility in Minna, Niger State.
NCSCN described the facility as "deplorable, unhealthy, inhumane, severely overcrowded and grossly unfit for human habitation."
Source: UGC
Legit.ng reports that a federal government committee presented its findings on the deaths of suspected illegal miners held by the NSCDC in Minna, Niger State.
The group made its position known at an emergency press conference held in Abuja on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 and statement made available to Legit.ng.
This was in response to the official report of an independent 10-man committee set up by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on September 19, 2026, to investigate the incident.
NCSCN's key findings from panel report
The NCSCN, led by Executive Director Amb. Blessing A. Akinlosotu, said the panel's report confirmed that detainees died from suffocation caused by the absence of adequate ventilation in the facility.
The council commended the committee, chaired by Jonathan Kure, a former Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, for what it called a diligent and thorough investigation.
While welcoming the suspension of 21 NSCDC officers linked to the incident, the council said the punishment did not go far enough. It demanded the immediate dismissal and prosecution of all officers from the Niger State Command found to be responsible for the deaths.
The council also used the press conference to clear the NSCDC's Commander General, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, of any wrongdoing.
The group noted that the panel's report established that the operation in M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto was carried out without an operational order and without the knowledge or approval of the national headquarters.
"No one should politicize or attempt to use this state-level operational failure to incite the public against the National Leadership of the Corps and Federal Government of Nigeria," the council said.
Call for emergency funding of detention centres
Beyond the immediate incident, the NCSCN linked the tragedy to what it described as systemic underfunding across Nigeria's security agencies.
The council argued that the NSCDC operates with responsibilities that include protecting solid minerals, securing critical infrastructure, and managing disasters, yet its facilities remain dangerously inadequate.
The group called on the federal government to approve a special intervention fund and a significant increase in budgetary allocation for the NSCDC and other security agencies.
It said the funds should be directed towards building humane detention facilities in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, procuring modern vehicles and surveillance equipment, and training personnel on custodial management and human rights.
The NCSCN also urged all law enforcement agencies to fast-track the arraignment of suspects before courts, warning that prolonged and unlawful detention remains a serious threat to the constitutional rights of Nigerians.
The council went further to suggest that the federal government consider declaring a national emergency on detention and correctional facilities across the country.
Source: Twitter
Panel probes deaths of 37 Niger miners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the National Association of Nigerian Youth in Development praised NSCDC Commandant-General Ahmed Abubakar Audi for his handling of the Minna miners' tragedy.
NANYD called out opposition parties and social media commentators for allegedly using the deaths of 37 miners to score political points against the Corps.
A 10-member independent panel chaired by a retired DSS chief is investigating the cause and circumstances of the miners' deaths in Niger State.
Source: Legit.ng
