"Suspected Illegal Mining Does Not Remove Their Right to Life" – Tinubu Orders Probe Into 37 Miners' Deaths in NSCDC Custody

"Suspected Illegal Mining Does Not Remove Their Right to Life" – Tinubu Orders Probe Into 37 Miners' Deaths in NSCDC Custody

The President's directive was contained in a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

Tinubu described the incident as a grave matter requiring urgent investigation and accountability, stressing that every Nigerian's life must be protected regardless of the circumstances leading to their arrest or detention.

"The fact that these individuals were suspected of illegal mining does not in any way remove their right to life, dignity and humane treatment while in government custody," he said. Tinubu ordered that any government official found to have contributed to the deaths through misconduct, abuse, or negligence must be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law. "Where the investigation establishes that any official, through action, abuse or negligence, contributed to these deaths, such an officer must be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

There must be accountability," he stated.

He also warned that the suspension of officers is only an administrative step and must not substitute for a proper determination of criminal responsibility where the evidence warrants prosecution. The deaths occurred after the NSCDC arrested scores of suspected illegal miners during enforcement operations around the Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Niger State on September 15 and 16 . The cause of the deaths has not been conclusively established.

The NSCDC initially said a suspected disease outbreak could have been involved, while the state government said forensic examinations, medical examinations, and autopsies were being conducted to determine the scientific cause.

The President directed investigators to examine the entire chain of events, including how the suspects were arrested, their physical condition at the point of detention, the circumstances in which they were held, and the medical care available to them.

The incident has triggered investigations at multiple levels. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, suspended the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, and ordered a comprehensive investigation.

The NSCDC Commandant-General, Ahmed Audi, also directed key officers in the state command to step aside and report to an investigative panel.

The Niger State Government constituted a committee of inquiry, while the state police command opened a separate investigation. Protests erupted in Minna over the deaths, leading to the imposition of a 24-hour curfew by Governor Umar Bago. Tinubu extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and appealed for calm among the affected families and communities.

He assured them that the Federal Government would pursue the truth and take appropriate action based on credible evidence.

"We must never allow the pursuit of one form of illegality to create another. The government must enforce the law firmly, but it must also obey the law. The sanctity of human life is non-negotiable," he said.