The Niger Delta Rights Advocates has expressed support for the arrest and detention of 24 serving personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps over the deaths of 33 suspected illegal miners in Minna, Niger State. The group described the action by the NSCDC high command as timely. The incident occurred on September 17, 2026.
According to the Niger Delta Rights Advocates, the arrested personnel were reportedly remotely or directly connected to the incident. The group's Director of Strategy, Dr Chucks Alozie, stated that the swift arrest and detention of the personnel demonstrated the NSCDC's commitment to an open and unbiased investigation. The group commended the NSCDC's response, saying it reflected a sense of obligation to the ordinary citizens of Nigeria and its respect for the sanctity of human lives.
The Niger Delta Rights Advocates said the NSCDC Commandant-General, Prof Abubakar Audi, had demonstrated that the corps under his leadership would not condone an alleged breach of the right to life guaranteed under Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. The group also called for the immediate and unconditional release of persons, particularly minors, held in detention facilities across the country where their alleged offences were bailable.
The Ministry of Interior has set up a committee to independently investigate the incident. The Niger Delta Rights Advocates welcomed the committee but called for an expansion of its mandate to include recommendations on long-term deterrent measures and short-term mitigating measures. The group suggested that such measures should include training and retraining for all paramilitary agencies under the Interior Ministry.
The Niger Delta Rights Advocates emphasized that the NSCDC, like other paramilitary agencies in the country, requires regular training to keep personnel abreast of global realities and enhance the effective discharge of their responsibilities. The group noted that such training was particularly important in areas including combating vandalism, oil theft, illegal bunkering and disaster management.
The group called for the convocation of an emergency National Security Summit to examine the underlying challenges confronting Nigeria's internal security architecture and develop a national roadmap for addressing them. The Niger Delta Rights Advocates also demanded the proper digitization of all mining activities across the country, with an inter-agency collaboration to checkmate economic sabotage.
The Niger Delta Rights Advocates' support for the NSCDC's action is seen as a boost to the efforts to ensure accountability and transparency in the country's security agencies. The group's demands for training, retraining, and digitization of mining activities are expected to be addressed by the relevant authorities.
Key points
- The Niger Delta Rights Advocates has backed the arrest of 24 NSCDC personnel linked to the deaths of 33 suspected illegal miners in Niger State.
- The group called for an expansion of the committee's mandate to include recommendations on long-term deterrent measures and short-term mitigating measures.
- The Niger Delta Rights Advocates demanded the proper digitization of all mining activities across the country to checkmate economic sabotage.
