FG vows accountability over deaths of 37 miners in Niger, announces N250m support
Abdullateef Fowewe
Vice President Kashim Shettima has visited Minna, the Niger State capital, to convey President Bola Tinubu’s condolences over the deaths of 37 suspected artisanal gold miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
In a statement issued by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Shettima described the incident as “a blot on our national conscience.”
“The deaths of 37 young men in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps are a blot on our national conscience. No parent should receive a body when they are waiting for a son to come home,” the Vice President said.
Shettima announced that the federal government is donating ₦250 million to the families of the deceased.
He also confirmed that President Tinubu had directed a comprehensive investigation, leading to the constitution of a 10-member independent investigative committee chaired by retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure.
Officers connected to the incident have been suspended pending the outcome of the probe.
“There can be no repose for leaders when lives are lost within the perimeter of their care. A citizen deprived of liberty remains entitled to the protection of the state. No allegation, however grave, diminishes that entitlement. No uniform confers immunity from accountability,” Shettima stated.
He added, “We owe justice to every soul lost, answers to every bereaved family and due process to every person under investigation. Whoever is found culpable must answer before the law.”
The 37 men were among scores of suspects arrested by the NSCDC on September 15 and 16, 2026, during operations targeting alleged illegal mining activities around the Lt. Gen. Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate area in Minna.
They were found dead in the early hours of September 17 while still in detention.
NSCDC officials initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak.
However, reports and accounts from survivors and families have raised questions about overcrowding, poor ventilation, and conditions inside the detention facility.
The incident triggered public anger, protests, and a temporary curfew in Minna.
The federal government has since moved officers linked to the case into protective custody for investigation.
The independent panel is tasked with establishing the exact circumstances of the deaths and recommending measures to prevent a recurrence.
During the visit, Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago welcomed the Vice President and described the gesture as a demonstration of empathy.
Shettima later proceeded to Maiduguri, Borno State, for a separate condolence visit.
