NBA Demands Independent Probe Into Death Of 37 Miners In NSCDC Custody

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for a thorough, independent and transparent investigation into the deaths of 37 persons who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Minna, Niger State.

The NBA made the call in a statement by its President, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, following reports that the detainees, who were arrested on suspicion of illegal mining, died in custody on Thursday, September 17, 2026.

The association said it had deliberately refrained from reaching conclusions on the cause of the deaths pending the outcome of investigations, stressing that the incident required evidence-based findings.

“The deaths of 37 persons while in the custody of a government agency is an event of the utmost gravity and demands a thorough, independent, transparent and credible investigation,” the NBA said.

The association acknowledged the steps already taken by the government, including the suspension of the Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC, the summoning of relevant senior officers and the establishment of investigative mechanisms by the NSCDC and Niger State Government.

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It also noted interventions by the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the Minister of Interior, as well as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive for a full and transparent investigation.

The NBA said the prompt response by the authorities was commendable but stressed that the credibility of the process would depend on the independence and thoroughness of the investigations.

“The true measure of the response will ultimately not be the speed with which investigations are announced, but rather the independence and thoroughness with which they are conducted, the transparency with which their findings are made known, and the accountability that follows from those findings,” it said.

The association raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the deaths, including the conditions in which the detainees were held, the capacity of the detention facility, the medical attention available to them and the response to reports that some detainees had cried out for help.

It also said reports concerning overcrowding, ventilation and the treatment of detainees must be investigated and either established or disproved by evidence.

The NBA further stressed the constitutional principle of presumption of innocence, saying those arrested over alleged illegal mining remained suspects because they had not been tried or convicted.

“A suspect is not a convict, whether rich or poor, powerful or powerless,” the association said, adding that the presumption of innocence must guide how the State treats every person whose liberty has been taken away.

The association also expressed concern over reports that children may have been among those detained and killed, saying the ages and identities of all victims must be officially established.

According to the NBA, the investigation should determine whether safeguards applicable to children were observed and whether children found at the mining sites were victims requiring state protection rather than simply offenders.

The association also called for investigation into the wider illegal mining operations, including those who may have owned, financed, controlled or profited from the activities.

It said enforcement should not be limited to people performing physical labour at mining sites while those who organise or benefit from illegal operations escape scrutiny.

Meanwhile, the NBA said it had constituted a team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former General Secretary of the association, Jonathan Gunu Taidi, to engage with the families of the deceased and surviving detainees and independently establish the circumstances surrounding the arrests, detention and deaths.

The team will also engage with relevant authorities and monitor the investigations, the association said.

The NBA urged authorities to preserve all relevant evidence, conduct proper forensic and medical investigations, protect surviving detainees and witnesses, and make the findings public to the fullest extent permitted by law.

It further called for calm, urging citizens to allow the investigations to proceed without interference.

“The fact that 37 Nigerians went into government custody and did not return to their families alive demands answers, and those answers must come from evidence, not conjecture; and from a process that commands public confidence, not one that merely manages public outrage,” the NBA said.

The association said it would continue to monitor the process and insist on accountability where responsibility is established, while ensuring that anyone prosecuted would also receive the fair trial guaranteed by the Constitution.