Minna Deaths: APM Demands Probe as 37 Suspected Miners Die in NSCDC Custody
The deaths of 37 Nigerians in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, have continued to raise questions, with the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) demanding a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The party, in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Abubakar, said it was deeply disturbed by the incident and condemned the reported use of live ammunition and tear gas against people who took to the streets to protest the deaths.
The NSCDC had said the deceased were suspected illegal miners who died following a suspected disease outbreak in the detention facility.
APM, however, rejected the explanation, arguing that it raised further concerns about the conditions in which the detainees were held.
“The claims by the authorities that the victims were alleged illegal miners and that they died as a result of suspected outbreak of disease in the cell does not justify the mortalities,” the party stated.
According to APM, 66 people were allegedly held in a single cell, with 37 subsequently dying after exposure to what the party described as excessive heat and an unidentified substance reportedly sprayed on the detainees.
The party described the reported circumstances as unacceptable in a country where citizens’ lives and dignity are protected by law.
“It is unimaginable that sixty-six persons were cramped into a cell where 37 of them died of excessive heat and after being reportedly sprayed with a yet to be identified substance,” the statement said.
Beyond the deaths inside the detention facility, APM expressed concern over the reported response to protests by relatives, residents and others demanding answers over the incident.
The party faulted the reported use of force against protesters, warning that attacks on people seeking answers could worsen tensions and potentially result in further loss of lives.
For the families of those who died, APM said the investigation must go beyond explanations and establish exactly what happened to their loved ones, the conditions under which they were detained and whether anyone should be held accountable.
While commiserating with the bereaved families and the people of Niger State, the party urged Nigerians to remain calm and allow the investigation to establish the facts.
It called for a transparent process that would give the families of the deceased and the wider public credible answers about how 37 people came to lose their lives while in custody.
