NBA urges independent probe after 37 die in NSCDC custody in Niger
NSCDC
Abdullateef Fowewe
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has expressed profound sadness and demanded a thorough, independent investigation into the deaths of 37 persons held in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.
In a statement issued on Saturday by NBA President Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, the association noted that the victims had been arrested on suspicion of illegal mining.
“Thirty-seven lives have been lost. Thirty-seven families are grieving. And whatever the circumstances that led to their arrest, these were 37 Nigerians who entered the custody of the NSCDC alive and who, while in that custody, were entitled to the protection of the law and to the preservation of their lives and human dignity,” the statement said.
The deaths occurred in the early hours of Thursday, 17 September 2026, Dailyeconomy had reported.
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State confirmed the toll of 37, while earlier reports cited 33 bodies at the General Hospital, Minna mortuary.
The NBA deliberately avoided immediate conclusions on the cause, stressing that restraint should not be mistaken for indifference.
The association acknowledged the government’s prompt actions, including the suspension of the Niger State NSCDC Commandant and other officers, the constitution of investigative panels by the NSCDC, Niger State Government, Nigeria Police Force and Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, and the President’s directive for a full and transparent investigation with accountability for any negligence or abuse.
Badejo-Okusanya raised pointed questions that the probe must answer: How did 37 persons die within such a short period while in custody? What were the detention conditions, the facility’s capacity, and the medical attention available? What happened when detainees reportedly began showing signs of distress?
The statement also highlighted disturbing accounts from survivours concerning overcrowding, lack of ventilation and the treatment of detainees, insisting these must be investigated and either established or disproved by evidence.
A wider issue, the NBA said, is the uneven application of the presumption of innocence.
“A suspect is not a convict, whether rich or poor, powerful or powerless,” the statement declared, criticising a culture in which the poor and vulnerable are too readily treated as guilty from the moment of arrest.
Particular concern was expressed over reports that children and teenagers were among those detained and among the deceased.
The association asked what children were doing at the mining sites and whether special legal safeguards for children in conflict with the law were observed.
It further urged authorities to look beyond the labourers arrested and establish who organised, financed and profited from the illegal mining operations.
The NBA has constituted a team, led by Senior Advocate Jonathan Gunu Taidi, SAN, of the Minna Branch, to engage with the families of the deceased, surviving detainees and authorities, and to monitor the ongoing investigations.
“The Nigerian Bar Association will follow that process closely and insist on the truth. We will insist on accountability where responsibility is established,” the president stated, while appealing for calm so that investigations can proceed unhindered.
The victims were among scores of people arrested by the NSCDC during enforcement operations against suspected illegal mining in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on 15 and 16 September 2026.
The NSCDC initially pointed to a possible disease outbreak, but intelligence reports and survivour accounts have pointed to severe overcrowding (with claims of dozens held in a cell meant for far fewer people), poor ventilation and extreme heat as contributing factors.
The deaths triggered protests in Minna, prompting a curfew and the cancellation of a political rally.
Federal and state authorities have suspended officers and set up multiple probes, with the President directing that anyone found responsible through abuse, negligence or dereliction of duty be held accountable.
Illegal mining remains a longstanding challenge in parts of Nigeria, involving revenue losses, environmental damage and, in some cases, the involvement of vulnerable or displaced persons.
