The indigenous people of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), under the aegis of the Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment Organisation (AOIYEO), have demanded a full-scale investigation, independent forensic autopsies and prosecution of anyone found culpable in the deaths of 37 Nigerians who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.
The group described the incident as a grave tragedy and an alleged violation of the fundamental duty of the state to protect citizens in its custody, warning that the deaths must not be reduced to an internal disciplinary matter or buried under another inconclusive investigation.
In a statement on Sunday, signed by its executive director, Commandant Isaac David, the natives said the incident was particularly painful to the original inhabitants of the FCT because of the longstanding ancestral and historical ties between communities in Abuja and Niger State.
The Niger State government confirmed that 37 persons died after they were arrested during operations around the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis on September 15 and 16 and were subsequently found dead in custody in the early hours of September 17.
The deaths sparked public anger and protests in Minna, while the federal government suspended the Niger State NSCDC Commandant and 20 officers and constituted an independent investigative panel to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Reacting to the development, David said the suspension of the officers should only mark the beginning of a process that must establish what happened and identify individual responsibility.
“37 Nigerians entered the custody of a government security agency alive and left as corpses. That alone should shock the conscience of every Nigerian.
“We cannot accept a situation where citizens are taken into custody and their families receive their bodies instead of their loved ones,” he said.
He demanded that anyone found to have caused, facilitated or negligently contributed to the deaths should face prosecution, irrespective of rank or position.
“If the investigation establishes that these deaths resulted from negligence, overcrowding, suffocation, deliberate acts, abuse, failure of duty or any other criminal conduct, those responsible must face the full weight of the law.
“Nobody should be protected because he wears a uniform or occupies an official position,” David said.
The FCT indigenous group also called for independent forensic autopsies on all the deceased, saying medical evidence was essential to establishing the actual cause and circumstances of death.
“We need facts, not speculation. We need independent forensic autopsies, proper identification of the deceased, medical records, detention records, statements from officers and detainees, and every available piece of evidence that can tell Nigerians exactly what happened,” he said.
David warned that the investigation must not become an exercise designed merely to apportion administrative sanctions.
“Suspension is not justice. Investigation is not justice by itself. Justice comes when the truth is established, responsibility is identified and those found culpable are held accountable under the law,” he said.
The organisation also demanded that all evidence connected to the incident be preserved, while urging the government to prevent suspected officials from interfering with witnesses, records or other evidence.
“Nobody should be allowed to intimidate witnesses, destroy records or manipulate evidence. If there is an attempt to cover up what happened, that cover-up itself must attract consequences,” David said.
He said the bereaved families deserved clear answers, stressing that the 37 victims should not be reduced to statistics.
“These families did not lose statistics; they lost fathers, sons, brothers and relatives. For every body recovered, there is a family somewhere waiting for answers.
“They deserve to know how their loved ones died, who was responsible and why those deaths occurred while they were under government custody,” he said.
