Tinubu Orders Full Probe Into 37 Miners’ Deaths in NSCDC Custody

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died while detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, declaring that the life of every Nigerian is sacrosanct and that the government will not tolerate mass fatalities arising from official negligence or abuse.

The deaths occurred after the suspects were arrested during NSCDC enforcement operations against illegal mining around the Lt. Gen. Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate and Lukoto axis on September 15 and 16, 2026. Scores of people, many of them young men and teenagers, including some internally displaced persons, were taken into custody. Their bodies were discovered in the early hours of September 17 at an NSCDC detention facility.

Niger State Governor Umaru Bago confirmed the toll of 37 fatalities. The state NSCDC commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak. NSCDC national headquarters later clarified that the cause remained unconfirmed pending medical examination and laboratory results, with the remains deposited at the General Hospital in Minna for autopsies and forensic analysis. Intelligence reports and survivor accounts have pointed instead to severe overcrowding and poor ventilation, with claims that more than 60 detainees were confined in a single cell with inadequate air, food and water. Some relatives and witnesses have alleged physical assault and ignored cries for help.

The tragedy triggered unrest in Minna, including protests, attacks on public buildings and the imposition of a 24-hour curfew by the state government. Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo promptly suspended Commandant Aniviye and ordered a full investigation. The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, visited the state, while the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, deployed a high-powered team to examine the circumstances. The NSCDC Commandant-General constituted an internal probe panel, and the police directed their state criminal investigation department to take charge.

In a statement issued Friday by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu expressed deep concern, describing the incident as a grave matter demanding urgent accountability. “While the Federal Government will continue to combat illegal mining and other criminal activities across the country, enforcement operations must be conducted strictly within the law and with full respect for the dignity and fundamental rights of every person in custody,” he said.

“The fact that these individuals were suspected of illegal mining does not in any way remove their right to life, dignity and humane treatment while in government custody. Government will not tolerate mass deaths arising from official negligence, dereliction of duty or failure by public officials to protect the lives placed under their care.

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“Where the investigation establishes that any official, through action, abuse or negligence, contributed to these deaths, such an officer must be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law. There must be accountability.”

The President directed that the probe cover the circumstances of the arrests, the condition of the detainees on arrival, the number held, detention conditions, medical attention provided, and the events leading to the deaths.

He stressed that the suspension of officers is merely an administrative measure and cannot replace a proper determination of criminal responsibility where evidence warrants prosecution. The Ministry of Interior and NSCDC leadership were instructed to cooperate fully and ensure no interference with the process.

Tinubu extended condolences to the families of the deceased, prayed for the repose of their souls, and appealed for calm among affected communities, assuring them that the Federal Government would pursue the truth on the basis of credible evidence. “We must never allow the pursuit of one form of illegality to create another. The government must enforce the law firmly, but it must also obey the law. The sanctity of human life is non-negotiable,” he stated.

Human rights groups and opposition parties have called for independent autopsies, full disclosure of the victims’ identities and detention records, and prosecution of any officials found culpable. Investigations by federal, state and security agencies remain ongoing as of Saturday.