The National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN) has called for the dismissal and prosecution of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) officers responsible for the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners at a detention facility in Minna, Niger State. This demand follows a report by a Federal Government committee that investigated the incident. The committee's findings led to the suspension of 21 NSCDC officers connected to the tragedy.
The Executive Director of NCSCN, Amb. Blessing Akinlosotu, made the demands in Abuja while reacting to the report. He described the detention facility as deplorable, overcrowded, poorly ventilated, and unfit for human habitation, stating that these conditions contributed to the suffocation of the detainees. Akinlosotu commended the 10-member committee, chaired by former Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Jonathan Kure, for its investigation.
The NCSCN urged President Bola Tinubu to approve a special intervention fund and increase budgetary allocations to security agencies to upgrade detention facilities nationwide. According to Akinlosotu, the tragedy exposed negligence, unprofessional conduct, and systemic underfunding of security agencies. The NSCDC and other agencies are expected to protect lives and property, prevent illegal mining, and respond to disasters, but operate with inadequate infrastructure.
Akinlosotu emphasized that security agencies cannot deliver 21st-century services with 19th-century funding. The council called on the Federal Government to make adequate budgetary provisions for the renovation and construction of detention facilities, stressing the need for humane and well-ventilated holding centers. The NCSCN also demanded stiffer sanctions against NSCDC officers in Niger State found responsible for the deaths.
The council defended the Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, stating that the committee's report did not indict him. The report established that operations in M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto were conducted without operational orders or the knowledge and approval of the corps' national headquarters. Akinlosotu cautioned against politicizing the incident or using operational failures at the state level to discredit the corps' national leadership and the Federal Government.
Akinlosotu also called for an end to the unjust detention of citizens, urging security and law enforcement agencies to ensure that suspects are promptly arraigned before competent courts. Timely arraignment would help prevent prolonged and unlawful detention while safeguarding citizens' constitutional rights to fair hearing and human dignity.
The NCSCN described Audi as a professional and reform-minded security chief who had transformed the NSCDC through reforms focused on discipline, professionalism, and respect for human rights. The council argued that responsibility should be placed on officers directly involved in the incident rather than the national leadership.
Key points
- The National Civil Society Council of Nigeria demands prosecution of NSCDC officers responsible for the deaths of 37 suspected miners.
- The detention facility where the miners died was described as deplorable, overcrowded, poorly ventilated, and unfit for human habitation.
- The NCSCN urges the Federal Government to increase budgetary allocations to security agencies to upgrade detention facilities nationwide.
