MURIC Demands NSCDC Overhaul After 37 Miners Die in Custody
The Muslim Rights Concern is calling for justice and compensation for the bereaved families as investigations continue into the deaths of the suspected miners in Minna, Niger State.
By Abdullahi Yusuf
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has demanded justice and compensation for the families of 37 suspected artisanal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.
The faith-based civil liberties organisation also called for a complete overhaul of the operational and custodial practices of the NSCDC nationwide, following the deaths of the detainees arrested during operations against illegal mining.
The 37 detainees were among 67 people reportedly taken into NSCDC custody after raids on suspected illegal mining activities in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16. The deaths were discovered on September 17. The precise cause of the deaths remains subject to investigation.
The Federal Government has since constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths, including the circumstances of the arrests, detention and deaths. It has also suspended the Niger State Commandant and 20 other NSCDC personnel pending the outcome of the investigation.
In a press release issued on Sunday, September 20, MURIC’s Kano State Chairman and Coordinator for the 19 northern states and Abuja, Malam Hassan Sani Indabawa, expressed concern over the deaths and the accounts emerging from survivors.
MURIC said some survivors alleged that the detainees were held in an overcrowded cell with poor ventilation and excessive heat, while one survivor allegedly claimed that an unidentified substance was sprayed into the cell.
The organisation said the allegations, if established to be true, would raise serious concerns about the treatment of detainees in custody.
MURIC also cited constitutional and international human rights protections governing the treatment of persons in detention, including Section 34(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which protects the dignity of the human person and prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment.
The organisation commended the Niger State Commissioner of Police, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, the Department of State Services and the Niger State Government for what it described as proactive steps following the incident.
It also commended the Federal Government for setting up the independent investigative committee, which has been given two weeks to complete its work and submit its report to the Minister of Interior. (Interior Ministry)
MURIC said the investigation should establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and provide a basis for accountability and appropriate remedies.
The group therefore demanded justice for the deceased and adequate compensation for their bereaved parents and relatives.
“Finally, MURIC calls for the complete overhaul of the operational and custodial practices of the NSCDC nationwide to avert public apathy and distrust against the security agency,” Indabawa said.
The National Human Rights Commission has also commenced a preliminary investigation into the deaths, adding to the scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the incident.
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