Saturday Southerner
Another View
The recent painful incident in Minna, Niger State, where close to 40 young miners died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has again called to questions, the trainings and professionalism of members of our security agencies.
According to reports, the suspected miners numbering above 60 were arrested between Tuesday and Wednesday, September 15 and 16, 2026, taken to a cell, where there was no proper ventilation and very crowded, making it difficult for them to breathe, sit or move their bodies freely.
The NSCDC is a law enforcement agency under the Nigerian law; its men and officers are expected to have undergone some legal, administrative, physical and psychological trainings on the handling of suspects.
The NSCDC possesses the right to arrest but in actual fact, it lacks the needed facility in all its offices nation-wide to hold large number of suspects at any given time.
As a law enforcement agency, the NSCDC should be knowledgeable enough to know and understand that, suspects in their custody are entitled to their fundamental rights to life and human dignity. They ought to be aware that suspects are presumed innocent, deserve humane treatment, medical and, prevented from any physical harm while in their custody.
The manner at which the ‘illegal’ mining suspects were alleged to have been cramped together in a cell that can hardly hold 15 detainees same time suggested ‘extra judicial murder’ by the officers of NSCDC.
It is not enough to suspend the Commandant and officers directly involved in the deaths of these ‘illegal’ miners. The Commandant and officers should be placed under arrest and subjected to a thorough scrutiny leading to the unraveling of the real cause of the deaths of about 37 persons.
We must begin to attach premium to human lives in Nigeria. Why must Nigerians continue to die cheaply with no serious measures by the government to put a stop to such?
As we speak, there are several lives in the forests under the hold of terrorist gangs. From the look of things for some time now, it appears the government and its security agencies have not shown enough concern about the release of these Nigerians held by the terrorists. The country has totally forgotten them, the victims and family suffer the pain.
Several lives have been killed unjustly in this country with no government or security agencies taking serious measures to put a stop to such or ensure the culprits are severely punished. The Lekki massacre is still fresh in our memories. The youths killed during the peaceful ENDSARS protest by our security forces still cry for justice.
The young female student, Deborah Samuel, who was stoned to death and set ablaze by some religious fanatics in Sokoto State few years ago remains a sad reflection of who we are. The young lady, so it appears died in vain as the killers walk the streets freely today.
Presently, there are killings ongoing in Katsina, Plateau, Zamfara, Sokoto, Bauchi and many other parts of the country simply because the perpetrators are fully aware the State won’t do anything. When will the Federal Government of Nigeria wake up to begin ensuring the safety of her citizens? When will murderers be tracked down, arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law?
The case of these miners must not be swept under the carpet. This case must be taken seriously by Niger State and Federal Governments to begin to close the era of impunity. Life is sacrosanct.
The life of every Nigerian must be defended and protected. Human life must be prioritized. It is the full responsibility of the Security Agencies to defend and protect lives and, not to aid in their quick and cruel extermination that is against natural law of justice and the Constitution of the Federal Republic.
Even though the State and Federal authorities have instituted a panel to investigate the circumstances surrounding the cause of the deaths of these miners, they should not be overjoyed. Yes, it is the right thing to do, but the steps taken are not enough. The death of these youths is painful and horrifying hence deserves a comprehensive investigation and transparent account of what happened to the people.
It is time for the government of the Federation to use the deaths of these youths to declare Not Again! The panels must go deep, reject every influence and diversion to unravel the real truth surrounding the deaths of these miners in the NSCDC facility. No patriotic Nigerian will justify illegal mining or, any criminality at that but, we insist that in apprehending suspects due process and rule of law must be followed.
The panel must look beyond the submission of the NSCDC that, there was an outbreak of disease in the cell. Assuming that story was correct, was it right for the NSCDC to have packed human beings together like sardines? Did they then not enable the spread of the ‘disease’, if that was the case? There is no hiding place for the NSCDC culpability in this case though, we still await the outcome of the investigations.
The panels need to invite and hear from the survivors. One of the survivors, according to reports, has narrated his experience before the Niger State Governor, Muhammed Umaru Bago and Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Bello. The survivor alleged that a substance was sprayed into the already cramped cell.
He told the top government officials that the cell was overcrowded with no ventilation yet, more suspects were brought and pushed into the already crowded cell. Their complaints were completely ignored. They pleaded, cried for water but no officer in their human conscience considered brought them water to drink.
What human justification does Nigeria as a country have to complain of the maltreatment done to our citizens in other countries when at home, we can be this inhuman to our fellow brothers and sisters? For how long shall we continue to waste lives?
The deaths of these youths were caused by absolute suffocation and official negligence by officers of the NSCDC. It’s only soulless human beings that can perpetrate this evil done to fellow compatriots.
