Felix Onyeka
A coalition of civil society organisations and media groups has demanded a thorough and independent investigation into the deaths of 37 miners(many of whom are minors) who died while at the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
The coalition made the demand in a statement issued on Thursday, September 24, 2026, after its virtual joint press conference convened over an emergency meeting organised by the Herald Foundation for Peace and Human Development, the Amazing Faith Compassionate Foundation, and Advocate Times News.
The deaths, which occurred on September 17 while the minors were in NSCDC custody, have generated widespread public concern and prompted the Federal Government to constitute a 10-member independent investigative committee.
The coalition welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to institute the investigation but stressed that the exercise must go beyond administrative measures and establish, without fear or favour, what happened to the minors, whether their rights were violated, and whether any individual or institution bears responsibility.
The coalition also urged the authorities not to allow the incident to become another unresolved case in Nigeria’s history of allegations of abuse, unlawful detention and failures of accountability.
37 dead miners should not be victims of security institutions
Speaking at the briefing, Executive Director of the Amazing Faith Foundation, Amb. Jeff Chukwuemeka Ndubueze, expressed concern that citizens who look to security agencies for protection should never become victims of the institutions entrusted with their safety.
“No Nigerian deserves to die like this, at least not in the hands of those who are paid to protect them,” Ndubueze said”.
“There is more to the story than has been told. Thirty-seven young people cannot just die overnight because they were locked up in a room or because of a strange illness. Something is missing, and those responsible for this crime against the country must be held accountable.”
Ndubueze said the incident was particularly troubling because of the reported age of the victims.
“It is a crime against Nigeria because if you remove young people, then Nigeria has no future. The government must hold those involved accountable.”
Children must be protected, not criminalised
Addressing the legal and human-rights dimensions of the incident, Executive Director of the Herald Foundation for Peace and Human Development, A. B. Daramola, Esq., questioned the treatment of minors allegedly involved in illegal mining activities.
Daramola argued that even where children are found participating in illegal or hazardous activities, the appropriate response should include protection, rehabilitation and the prosecution of adults who exploit them.
Citing the Child Rights Act 2003, he stressed that children exposed to exploitation should not be treated as disposable commodities or subjected to conditions that endanger their lives.
“Calling children illegal miners without parading those who sent them to mine doesn’t make sense; is like putting a square peg in a round hole” Daramola stated.
“Children are supposed to be treated like children, even if they were involved in illegal mining as alleged. Nothing should warrant their death. It is the responsibility of the government to arrest and prosecute those who sent them and provide economic enablement for the young people to return to school.”
He urged law-enforcement authorities to investigate the networks and adult actors behind the recruitment and exploitation of minors in hazardous mining operations.
Suspension is not a substitute for accountability
Civic advocate K. C. Iwuoha called for the investigation to result in concrete accountability where evidence establishes criminal wrongdoing.
“There is already much speculation concerning the death of these children, and the government must not allow Nigerians to continue to speculate,” Iwuoha said.
He urged the investigative committee to establish the facts surrounding the deaths, including the circumstances of the arrests, the conditions of custody, the conduct of officers involved and the medical circumstances preceding the deaths.
Iwuoha said administrative suspensions, while potentially necessary pending investigation, should not substitute for prosecution where criminal responsibility is established.
“It is not enough to suspend those who are involved; if found guilty, they must be prosecuted,” he stressed.
Human life should be dignified
Also speaker during the conference was Adeniyi Olusegun Ogundele, a board member of the Herald Foundation for Peace and Human Development, who expressed concern over the decreasing value and dignity of human life in Nigeria.
“It is saddening, sickening and scary to sane minds. Life is supposed to be valued. Arrests when there is no evidence of resistance or threat to the arresting officials’ lives, should not and never result in the death of alleged illegal miners who are underage. While the government is making efforts to unravel the cause of death in a detention facility, I sincerely believe that an intentional reorientation of all those who hold the power of state on the sanctity of life is paramount in this age. As a nation, we cannot continue like this. My condolences to the families affected, another generation lost without a natural disaster”, Ogundele said.
Civil Society Pledges Sustained Monitoring
Closing the press briefing, the Country Director of Herald Foundation for Peace and Human Development, Nendirmwa Yakubu Malafa, stressed that civil society and media organisations must maintain continuous oversight over the panel’s proceedings until justice is delivered to the bereaved families, and that governments at all levels must take necessary measures to protect innocent citizens from being killed by either criminals or security agencies.
“This is just one case out of numerous daily death tolls across the country. Looking at Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Zamfara, Borno, and regions nationwide, the record of deaths is terrifying, and government agencies must not add to these numbers.
“This is truly a sad incident for Nigeria, and we call on the Niger State Government and the Federal Government committee to establish what truly happened. We also call on all state governors to take proactive measures toward securing their citizens and residents.”
She further stressed that it the duty of the civil society, the media and citizens to ensure accountability in the case of the Niger 37 minors.
“It is our role, and that of every concerned Nigerian, to follow this matter in Niger state and ensure justice is served, especially for the mothers who are now left to mourn their children and their lost futures,” Malafa said.
The Coalition’s demand
The coalition made four principal demands:
1. Full disclosure of the findings:
The 10-member independent investigative committee should make its findings publicly available and provide a clear account of what happened to each of the deceased minors.
2. Prosecution where criminal responsibility is established:
Any officer, official or other individual found through due process to have contributed to the deaths through criminal conduct, negligence, abuse or other unlawful acts should face prosecution and, if convicted, the appropriate punishment under the law.
3. Investigation of mining syndicates and adult recruiters:
Law-enforcement agencies should investigate the networks and adult actors responsible for recruiting, exploiting or compelling minors to participate in hazardous and illegal mining activities.
4. Stronger protection for minors in custody:
Government authorities must ensure strict compliance with child-protection laws and detention standards, particularly safeguards against torture, degrading treatment, hazardous labour, unlawful detention and denial of medical care.
A test of Public accountability
The coalition said the deaths of 37 minors in state custody must not become another unresolved chapter in Nigeria’s accountability history.
They further stressed that the public deserve to know what happened, the bereaved families deserve the truth, and anyone found responsible must face the consequences established by law.
They also called on Nigerians, civil society organisations and the media to maintain sustained public oversight of the investigation until the full facts are established and appropriate accountability measures are taken.
