Women in Mining Nigeria (WIMIN) has condemned the deaths of 37 artisanal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, demanding an independent judicial inquiry and urgent reforms to detention conditions and mining enforcement practices.
In an urgent press release issued by its Media & Communications Directorate, WIMIN said the victims were among scores of people arrested during enforcement operations on September 15 and 16 in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Minna.
The organisation expressed condolences to the families of the deceased, particularly women who, it said, had lost sons, brothers and primary breadwinners.
WIMIN also raised concerns over reports that some of the deceased were teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18.
… Questions Conditions in Detention
According to the statement issued by WIMIN, the NSCDC initially attributed the deaths to an alleged disease outbreak. However, the organisation said accounts attributed to survivors and intelligence reports pointed to severe overcrowding, extreme heat, dehydration and poor ventilation at the detention facility.
WIMIN alleged that as many as 65 people were being held in a single cell and said survivors reportedly described banging on the doors for assistance as fellow detainees collapsed.
The organisation stressed that the allegations surrounding the conditions of detention should be independently investigated and established.
‘We have failed fundamentally as a nation’
Speaking on behalf of Women in Mining Nigeria, the organisation’s Founder and National President, Engr. Janet Adeyemi, said the incident demonstrated the need to address the socio-economic conditions driving young people into artisanal mining.
“We cannot continue to use iron fists and lethal containment strategies against young citizens who are driven into mining pits by the sheer desperation for survival.”
Adeyemi argued that enforcement alone would not resolve the challenges associated with artisanal mining and called for a shift towards formalisation and safer mining practices.
“It is a profound injustice to criminalise poverty. When the state treats the desperate quest for a livelihood as a capital offense—resulting in the suffocation and death of dozens in custody—we have failed fundamentally as a nation.”
She urged the government to move away from what she described as aggressive militarisation towards a more human-centred approach to formalising artisanal mining.
….Links Crisis to Poverty
WIMIN said the deaths should also be viewed against the socio-economic conditions in Niger State.
Citing figures it attributed to the National Bureau of Statistics and the World Bank, the organisation said Niger State has a multidimensional poverty rate of 69.1 per cent and that 72.8 per cent of the state’s population lives below the $2.15-a-day extreme poverty line.
WIMIN also pointed to Niger State’s deposits of gold, lithium and tantalite, arguing that the availability of valuable minerals, combined with widespread poverty, has made artisanal mining an important source of livelihood for vulnerable communities.
The organisation said government policy should address the economic drivers of informal mining while improving safety, environmental protection and regulatory compliance.
… Condemns Protest Response
WIMIN also condemned the reported use of force and tear gas against grieving families and community members who protested in Minna following the deaths.
The organisation called for an investigation into the response of security personnel and urged authorities to protect the rights of families and communities seeking answers about the deaths.
…Makes Five-Point Demand
In its statement, Women in Mining Nigeria called on the Federal and Niger State governments to take immediate steps to prevent a recurrence.
The organisation demanded a fully independent judicial panel of inquiry, with independent medical experts monitoring autopsies conducted at Minna General Hospital.
WIMIN also called for the prosecution of anyone found responsible for negligence, dereliction of duty or abuse of power within the detention facility.
It urged the Ministry of Interior to conduct an immediate audit of detention facilities operated by security and paramilitary agencies nationwide, with particular attention to overcrowding, ventilation and emergency medical response procedures.
On artisanal mining, WIMIN called for a shift from criminalisation to formalisation, including legal frameworks, training, safer equipment and the organisation of artisanal miners into cooperatives.
The organisation further urged the government to strengthen child-labour protections in the mining sector, provide educational alternatives for children and teenagers, and adequately support families affected by the deaths.
WIMIN acknowledged the suspension of the Niger State NSCDC Commandant and the ongoing police investigation but said these steps should be followed by a comprehensive and independent process capable of establishing what happened and determining responsibility.
The organisation said the incident should prompt reforms addressing both the treatment of detainees and the socio-economic conditions that drive vulnerable people into unsafe artisanal mining.
