Pro-Democracy and Human Rights Advocate, Austin Aigbe on Saturday called for an independent, transparent investigation into the death of 37 Citizens who died while in custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.
Aigbe gave the charge in a statement titled: ’37 deaths in NSCDC custody in Niger State is a national human rights disaster – must not be swept under the carpet’, made available to Tribune Online..
Worried by the ugly development, Aigbe called for an audit of all NSCDC and Police detention facilities across the country.
He said: ‘I have received with profound shock, anger and disbelief the news of the death of 37 citizens, suspected to be artisanal miners, while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State on September 17, 2026.
‘These young men, arrested in the Wushishi-Lukoto axis for alleged illegal mining, were in the lawful custody of the Nigerian state.
‘The state therefore owed them the absolute duty of care, protection of their dignity, and preservation of their lives under Section 33 and 34 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Anti-Torture Act 2017, and Nigeria’s obligations under international human rights law.
‘Their deaths are not just statistics. They are 37 lives extinguished under the watch of those mandated to protect lives and property. What we are hearing is deeply troubling and points to a grave institutional failure:
‘The initial attempt to attribute mass death to ‘disease outbreak’ is insensitive and lacks credibility. Intelligence reports and testimonies from families pointing to suffocation, overcrowding and poor ventilation in detention cells raise serious questions of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment.
‘No Nigerian, however poor, however alleged to have committed an offence, deserves to die in a detention cell.’
He therefore called for an independent, transparent investigation, adding that the investigation announced by Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago and Minister of Interior must not be an internal NSCDC whitewash, rather ‘must include the National Human Rights Commission, the Nigerian Bar Association, medical experts, and credible civil society groups. Autopsy reports must be made public.’
While advocating for accountability, not suspension, Aigbe argued that the suspension of the Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC is not enough and rather underscored the need for ‘all officers who were on duty at the detention facility on that day must be held accountable and prosecuted if found culpable.
‘Justice and Reparation for Families: The families of the 37 deceased must be identified, adequately compensated, and given psychosocial support. The remaining detainees from that operation must be released or charged to a competent court immediately and their health assessed.
‘Urgent Reform of Detention Facilities: This tragedy exposes the colonial legacy of our detention system where poor Nigerians are warehoused in inhumane conditions. We must audit all NSCDC and police detention facilities across the country.
‘Nigeria’s democracy is already facing turbulence and citizens’ trust in institutions is at an all-time low. When citizens die in custody and the state cannot explain why, democracy itself is at risk.
‘I stand in solidarity with the families in Minna and call on all citizens to demand that the wish of the people for justice prevails. We will not be silent,’ Aigbe pledged.