The Nigerian Bar Association has set up a team to independently examine the deaths of 37 people held by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, SAN, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has said.
She announced this on Saturday, 19 September on X, following the reported deaths of suspected illegal miners in the early hours of Thursday.
The NBA team said it will meet families of the dead, surviving detainees and relevant authorities as it works to establish how the deaths happened.
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The association said the exact cause of death should come from evidence, medical findings and proper investigation, not speculation. It also said evidence must be preserved and survivors and other important witnesses must be protected from intimidation.
The team is headed by Jonathan Gunu Taidi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former NBA General Secretary, who lives in Minna. Members of the NBA Minna Branch will work with him on the inquiry.
The detainees had been held by the NSCDC after their arrest over suspected illegal mining. The NBA said the circumstances surrounding their deaths must now be established through an independent and transparent process.
Children, detention conditions under scrutiny
The association said its team would examine the conditions in which the detainees were kept and what happened when some reportedly cried out for help.
It wants investigators to establish how many people were held at the facility, its lawful capacity, the medical care available and what happened after detainees reportedly began showing signs of distress.
The NBA also said reports of overcrowding, poor ventilation and the treatment of detainees must be tested against evidence. It said it would not treat allegations as established facts before the investigations are completed.
The age of the detainees is another issue the lawyers want investigators to settle.
The NBA said media reports and video evidence indicate that children were among those detained and among the dead. It said the identity and age of every person arrested and every person who died should be officially established.
If children were present at the mining sites, investigators must also establish what happened to them after their arrest and whether legal safeguards for children were observed.
The association said the investigation should also examine who owned or controlled the mining operations and who benefited from them. It noted that people arrested at mining sites may have been workers, while others could have organised, financed or controlled the operations.
It said illegal mining is a serious national problem that can deprive Nigeria of revenue, damage communities and the environment, and in some cases have ties to organised criminal activity.
The NBA also stressed that the people who died were suspects, not convicted criminals.
“A suspect is not a convict, whether rich or poor, powerful or powerless,” the association said.
It said the presumption of innocence applies from the moment the State takes away a person’s freedom. The association also said people in custody are entitled to protection of their lives and human dignity.
The NBA acknowledged several official actions taken since the deaths became known. These include the suspension of the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, the summoning of senior officers and investigations by the NSCDC and Niger State Government.
The Nigeria Police Force has also intervened, while the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development deployed a team. The Interior Minister has intervened, and President Bola Tinubu directed a full and transparent investigation.
The President also directed that anyone found responsible through abuse, negligence or dereliction of duty should face accountability.
The NBA said the quality of the investigations would be judged by their independence, thoroughness and transparency, as well as what happens after their findings are released.
The association said its team would monitor the investigations and any prosecutions arising from the deaths. It also appealed for calm, saying violence or destruction would not bring back those who died.
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