Pro-democracy and human rights advocate Austin Aigbe has demanded an independent investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected artisanal miners in NSCDC custody in Minna, Niger State.
Aigbe made the demand in a statement dated September 19, 2026, after the men died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on September 17.
He said the victims were arrested around the Wushishi-Lukoto axis over alleged illegal mining.
He argued that the state owed them a duty of care and protection under Sections 33 and 34 of the 1999 Constitution, the Anti-Torture Act 2017 and international human rights law.
Aigbe Questions Cause of Death
However, Aigbe said reports linking the deaths to a “disease outbreak” raised serious concerns.
He also cited intelligence reports and accounts from families alleging suffocation, overcrowding and poor ventilation in the detention cells.
“No Nigerian, however poor, however alleged to have committed an offence, deserves to die in a detention cell,” he said.
Aigbe described the deaths as a major institutional failure and called for a transparent investigation into what happened inside the detention facility.
Aigbe urged Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago and the Minister of Interior to ensure that the investigation does not become an internal NSCDC process.
He called for the National Human Rights Commission, Nigerian Bar Association, medical experts and credible civil society groups to join the probe.
He demanded that autopsy reports be made public and that officers who were on duty at the facility be held accountable if investigators find them culpable.
He said the suspension of the Niger State NSCDC Commandant alone would not address the matter.
Aigbe called for the identification and adequate compensation of the families of the 37 deceased.
He also sought psychosocial support for the families and urged authorities to release or charge the remaining detainees before a competent court without delay.
He further called for medical assessments of the remaining detainees.
Aigbe Seeks Detention Centre Audit
Consequently, Aigbe urged the government to audit NSCDC and police detention facilities across Nigeria.
He said the deaths exposed what he described as long-standing problems in the country’s detention system.
Aigbe also linked the incident to wider concerns about public trust in state institutions.
He said citizens’ deaths in custody without a clear explanation could further weaken confidence in democracy.
“I stand in solidarity with the families in Minna and call on all citizens to demand that the wish of the people for justice prevails,” he said.
“We will not be silent.”
Related reports
Channels Television’s report on the NSCDC deaths
Premium Times’ report on the investigation
Reuters’ report on the Minna deaths and investigation
