The Federation of Nigerian Mining Host Communities in Nigeria (FNMHC) has called for an independent and transparent investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who reportedly died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.
In a statement signed by its Co-Chairs, Dr. Temitope Olaifa and Alh. Abubakar Wushishi, the federation said the victims were arrested on September 15 and 16, 2026, around the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna during enforcement operations against suspected illegal mining.
According to the group, the detainees were subsequently taken to an NSCDC facility, where their deaths were discovered in the early hours of September 17.
The FNMHC expressed concern over what it described as the initial attribution of the deaths by the NSCDC to a suspected disease outbreak before an investigation had established the cause of death.
The organisation, however, welcomed the subsequent position of the NSCDC national headquarters that the cause of death had not yet been established and its decision to constitute an investigative team.
The Niger State Police Command has also commenced an investigation, while the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, was suspended by the Federal Government pending the outcome of investigations.
The federation said the scale of the deaths required an investigation capable of determining what happened to the detainees from the time of their arrest until their deaths.
“An incident in which 37 people lose their lives within two days in state custody demands an investigation that is independent, transparent, comprehensive, and capable of establishing individual and institutional responsibility.”
The group also raised concerns over reports that some of the deceased may have been minors. It further called for investigation into allegations by relatives that they were prevented from providing food to detainees and that officials allegedly demanded N100,000 for the release of each detainee.
The federation stressed that such allegations should be independently investigated to establish whether there were violations in the treatment of detainees or the exercise of custodial authority.
“People who are suspected of illegal mining remain entitled to the protection of the law. Arrest and detention do not suspend the state’s obligation to protect life and human dignity.”
The FNMHC also expressed concern over the reported use of force during protests that followed the deaths in Minna, including allegations that live ammunition was used against protesters.
It called for an independent inquiry into the deployment and use of force, urging authorities to determine whether the response complied with applicable laws and standards governing policing and public assemblies.
The organisation further argued that tackling illegal and unsafe mining should go beyond enforcement operations, calling for stronger safety, environmental and human-rights protections across the mining sector.
Among its demands, the federation called for a full forensic determination of the cause and manner of death, preservation of evidence, accountability at every level where wrongdoing is established, and an independent investigation into allegations of extortion and denial of basic necessities to detainees.
It also urged the government to protect witnesses, surviving detainees, relatives and community members who may have information relevant to the investigations.
The federation acknowledged the Niger State Government’s declaration of three days of mourning over the incident but stressed that mourning should be accompanied by accountability.
“Mourning cannot substitute for accountability, and an investigation cannot be considered complete unless it establishes how 37 people came to die in the custody of the state and identifies those responsible where wrongdoing is found.”
The FNMHC urged the Federal Government, Niger State Government, NSCDC, Nigeria Police Force and other relevant authorities to conduct the investigations with what it described as the independence, transparency and urgency demanded by the scale of the incident.
“The families of the deceased, the affected mining communities and the Nigerian public deserve nothing less than the truth.”
