RismadarVoice Reporters
September 18, 2026
Peter Obi has called for a transparent, independent and credible investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Minna, Niger State.
Obi said on Friday that the circumstances surrounding the deaths required urgent answers, stressing that the detainees remained entitled to humane treatment and protection regardless of the allegations for which they were arrested.
He expressed concern that such a large number of people could die within a detention facility over a short period, saying Nigerians deserved a credible investigation that would establish exactly what happened.
Obi said the investigation should examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths, including reports concerning disease, overcrowding and inadequate ventilation.
He also called for accountability, maintaining that the responsibility of security agencies extends beyond making arrests to protecting the lives and dignity of people placed in their custody.
The former Anambra State governor said the incident should reinforce the obligation of government institutions to operate within the law and respect due process.
“A nation cannot claim to value human life when people can enter government custody alive and emerge dead without immediate, transparent, and credible accountability,” Obi said.
He extended condolences to the families of the deceased and urged authorities to ensure that justice was done.
TINUBU ORDERS FULL INVESTIGATION
Obi’s intervention came as President Bola Tinubu ordered a full and transparent investigation into the deaths following enforcement operations around Lt. Gen. Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate in Minna.
Tinubu directed that the investigation should examine the circumstances of the arrests, the detainees’ condition when taken into custody, conditions at the detention facility, the number of people held there, medical attention provided and the events preceding the deaths.
The President said being suspected of illegal mining did not remove the detainees’ rights to life, dignity and humane treatment while in government custody.
Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has confirmed that 37 suspected illegal miners died in NSCDC custody and declared three days of mourning following the incident.
The NSCDC has also ordered an investigation, while the Niger State Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, was suspended pending the outcome of the inquiry.
Investigations into the incident are continuing, with the actual cause of the deaths yet to be conclusively established.
