Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for answers over the deaths of 37 individuals while in custody, urging authorities to clarify the circumstances surrounding the fatalities.

Former-Vice-President-Atiku-Abubakar

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for an independent investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.

Atiku, in a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said President Bola Tinubu, Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake and Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo must provide answers over the deaths.

The 37 detainees were among suspected illegal miners arrested during enforcement operations in Niger State on September 15 and 16. The NSCDC initially said the detainees were found dead following a suspected disease outbreak, while the actual cause of death remains subject to investigation and medical examinations.

Atiku said the circumstances demanded more than administrative suspensions, arguing that the government must establish how the detainees died while in state custody.

“Thirty-seven Nigerians, many of them teenagers, entered government custody alive. Thirty-seven of them died there. The Tinubu administration cannot explain away 37 bodies with press releases, suspensions and bureaucratic excuses,” he said.

He called for an independent criminal investigation rather than an inquiry conducted solely by government agencies.
The former vice president said survivors’ accounts of overcrowding and poor ventilation in the detention facility should be investigated alongside the official explanation of a possible disease outbreak.

A survivor told the Associated Press that detainees were held in an overcrowded, poorly ventilated cell and struggled to breathe. Officials, however, have said the cause of death has not been established pending medical and laboratory examinations.

Atiku said Tunji-Ojo, whose ministry supervises the NSCDC, had questions to answer about the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

“Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has direct and unavoidable questions to answer. He supervises the agency in whose custody these Nigerians allegedly died,” he said.

He also called on Alake to account for the enforcement operations linked to the illegal-mining sector.

“Dele Alake must equally account for the enforcement operations surrounding the sector he supervises,” Atiku said.
The former vice president also said President Tinubu bore ultimate responsibility for the conduct of his administration and should ensure that the circumstances surrounding the deaths were fully established.

Tinubu has already ordered a full and transparent investigation into the deaths, saying no citizen should lose his life in government custody through negligence, abuse, inhumane treatment or dereliction of duty.

The Federal Government has also suspended NSCDC officers in connection with the incident. On Saturday, the Minister of Interior directed the suspension of 20 officers pending the conclusion of the investigation.

Atiku said the suspensions should not replace a comprehensive investigation capable of establishing the full chain of responsibility.

“Junior officers must not be turned into sacrificial lambs while those who authorised, supervised and controlled the operation escape scrutiny,” he said.

He called for the preservation of detention registers, operational records, communication logs, medical reports, photographs and available surveillance footage.

He also urged authorities to establish when the detainees first showed signs of distress, who was informed, what medical assistance was provided and the precise cause of each death.

Atiku said anyone found responsible should be prosecuted, regardless of rank or political affiliation.
He also criticised the government’s approach to tackling illegal mining, arguing that enforcement must be conducted within the law and with respect for the rights of suspects.

“Illegal mining is robbing Nigeria of its resources, destroying communities and threatening national security. It must be confronted firmly. But fighting illegal mining is not a licence for state agents to arrest citizens alive and return their bodies to their families,” he said.

Atiku further linked the incident to broader economic hardship, arguing that unemployment and poverty had pushed some young Nigerians into illegal mining.

He called for an independent inquiry, publication of its findings and accountability for anyone found culpable.
“We demand the truth. We demand accountability. We demand justice for all 37 victims,” Atiku said.