Social Action expresses deep concern and outrage over the death of 37 suspected illegal miners at M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, and calls for an immediate, transparent, independent and credible investigation into the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The deceased were reportedly arrested during enforcement operations against illegal mining activities in Niger State on 15 and 16 September 2026. Reports indicate that as many as 67 persons were detained, with 37 subsequently dying in custody.
The circumstances of their deaths remain under investigation, with overcrowding, poor ventilation, possible exposure to hazardous substances and other explanations being raised.
Social Action unequivocally condemns illegal mining and recognises the legitimate responsibility of the Nigerian state to protect the environment, communities and national resources from the destructive consequences of illegal mining.
However, the allegation of a crime does not strip a person of their fundamental rights or make their life less valuable.
These were suspects in state custody. They were entitled to humane treatment, protection of their lives and dignity, and due process of law.
Their families were entitled to expect that their loved ones would remain alive while awaiting investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution before a competent court.
The reported deaths raise profound questions about detention conditions, supervision, the number of people held in the facility, access to medical attention, the conduct of personnel and the chain of responsibility within the security structure.
The fact that the NSCDC has now detained 24 of its personnel in connection with the incident, including the suspended Niger State Commandant, underscores the seriousness of the questions that must be answered.
We also recognize the effort of the Nigerian Bar Association’s Minna Branch which has also constituted an independent committee to investigate the deaths.
Social Action therefore calls on the Federal Government to ensure that these investigations are independent, transparent, unhindered and made public, and that no person whose conduct is established to have contributed to the deaths is shielded from accountability.
Where evidence establishes criminal responsibility, those responsible must be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Administrative sanctions alone must not become a substitute for criminal accountability where criminal conduct is established.
We are particularly concerned that public discussion of this tragedy could become centred only on the fact that the deceased were allegedly involved in illegal mining.
That cannot be allowed to diminish the gravity of what happened.The appropriate question is not whether illegal mining should be tolerated. It should not.
The appropriate question is whether the Nigerian state, while enforcing its laws, complied with its own obligations to protect the lives and dignity of people in its custody.
These men and women had families. They had parents, spouses, children, siblings and communities who expected them to return home. Whatever allegations may have been made against them, their lives cannot be treated as collateral damage in the fight against illegal mining.
The Minna tragedy must also compel the government to confront the deeper socioeconomic conditions that continue to push Nigerians into dangerous and precarious forms of survival.
Across the country, Nigerians are struggling with rising living costs, expensive food, transportation, housing, healthcare and other essential needs, while incomes for many households have not increased at a comparable rate.
This does not excuse illegal mining or any other criminal activity. But a serious national response must recognise that enforcement without addressing economic vulnerability will continue to leave many Nigerians exposed to dangerous livelihoods and exploitation.
The government must therefore pursue a two-track approach: enforce the law against illegal mining and the organised actors who profit from it, while expanding legitimate economic opportunities for communities whose livelihoods are increasingly threatened by economic hardship.
Social Action is also concerned about the socioeconomic consequences of the curfew imposed in Minna following protests over the deaths.
We recognise the government’s responsibility to protect lives and prevent further violence. However, curfews also restrict movement and can immediately affect traders, transport workers, artisans, small businesses and other citizens whose incomes depend on daily economic activity.
At a time when millions of Nigerians are already struggling to meet basic needs, restrictions on movement should be necessary, proportionate, time-bound and subject to constant review.
Citizens should not be made to bear an additional economic burden in responding to a crisis that arose from a failure of accountability within a state detention system.
We call on the Federal Government and the Niger State Government to:
- Ensure a full, independent and transparent investigation into the deaths of the 37 suspected illegal miners.
- Publish the findings of the investigation and make clear the circumstances surrounding the arrest, detention, treatment, medical care and deaths of all those affected.
- Establish individual and institutional responsibility, including the chain of command and supervisory responsibilities within the NSCDC facility.
- Prosecute any person found to have committed a criminal offence in connection with the deaths, regardless of rank or position.
- Ensure that administrative disciplinary action does not replace criminal accountability where evidence establishes criminal responsibility.
- Provide justice and appropriate support to the families of the deceased, including access to information concerning the circumstances of their relatives’ deaths.
- Review detention standards across security agencies, including limits on detention capacity, ventilation, medical care, monitoring and safeguards against torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
- Investigate all allegations of abuse or mistreatment of detainees and ensure that survivors and witnesses can give evidence without intimidation or retaliation.
- Ensure that any curfew imposed in response to the crisis is strictly necessary, proportionate and time-bound, with consideration given to its impact on the livelihoods of ordinary citizens.
- Address the socioeconomic drivers of illegal and dangerous livelihoods, particularly poverty, unemployment and the lack of viable economic opportunities in communities affected by illegal mining.
Nigeria cannot build a just society by demanding accountability from citizens while failing to hold public institutions and officials accountable for abuses committed under the authority of the state.
The 37 people who died in Minna were suspects, not convicts. They deserved their day in court, not death in custody.
We therefore call on the Nigerian government to ensure that the truth is established, justice is done and those found responsible are held accountable.
