The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has commenced a preliminary investigation into the deaths of 37 persons suspected to be artisanal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.
The Commission’s intervention comes amid mounting public concern over the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the detainees, who were arrested during enforcement operations against suspected illegal mining activities in the M.I. Wushishi-Lukoto axis on September 15 and 16, 2026.
Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Chief Tony Ojukwu, condemned the incident and expressed concern over the loss of lives in state custody, particularly as the precise cause of death remains subject to investigation.
According to the Commission, the bodies of the deceased were deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for medical examination, while separate investigations have been initiated by security authorities.
Ojukwu, in a statement issued by the organisation’s Director, Corporate Affairs and External Linkages, NHRC, Fatimah Mohammed, directed the Commission’s preliminary investigation to establish the circumstances leading to the deaths and called for an independent forensic autopsy, as well as the preservation of all relevant evidence.
He further stressed that the investigations already ordered by the Minister of Interior and the NSCDC must be conducted transparently, thoroughly and in accordance with international standards governing investigations into potentially unlawful deaths in custody.
“Citizens who are arrested on suspicion by law enforcement agents are by law expected to enjoy the full complement of their fundamental human rights in accordance with national and international human rights instruments,” Ojukwu said.
The NHRC boss reminded law enforcement agencies that allegations of illegal mining do not deprive suspects of their constitutional rights, insisting that every person detained by the state must be treated with dignity and in accordance with the law.
The deaths have triggered protests in Minna and intensified demands for an independent investigation into the treatment of the detainees and the conditions under which they were held. The Federal Government has also suspended the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, pending investigation.
The exact cause of the deaths has not been conclusively established. The Niger State NSCDC Command initially referred to a suspected disease outbreak, while the Corps’ national headquarters said the cause could not be determined until medical and laboratory examinations were completed.
Ojukwu therefore urged youths and residents of Minna to remain calm and refrain from violence, assuring that the Commission would pursue accountability and ensure appropriate remedies if human rights violations are established.
The NHRC’s intervention has added another layer of scrutiny to a case that has already prompted federal and state-level investigations, with the circumstances of the deaths now subject to multiple probes.
