The Federation of Nigerian Mining Host Communities (FNMHC) has issued a strong demand for an independent, comprehensive investigation and full forensic determination into the deaths of 37 individuals held in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.
In a statement made available to The Guardian in Abuja and signed by Dr. Temitope Olaifa and Abubakar Wushishi, the coalition expressed grave concern over the tragedy. The victims were reportedly arrested on September 15 and 16, 2026, during operations around the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna, with their deaths discovered in the early hours of September 17 while detained at an NSCDC facility.
The FNMHC stressed that authorities must immediately preserve and examine all available evidence capable of establishing exactly what occurred from the moment of the victims’ arrest to the discovery of their bodies, including the specific conditions of their detention.
While commending the Federal Government’s swift decision to suspend the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, pending the outcome of a full probe, the coalition warned that administrative suspensions are only the first step. They called on the Federal Government, the Niger State Government, the NSCDC, the Nigeria Police Force, and all relevant authorities to ensure the investigation is conducted with the “independence, transparency, and urgency that the scale of this tragedy requires.”
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The group emphasized that an incident resulting in the loss of 37 lives within a 48-hour period in state custody demands a probe that is not only thorough but also capable of establishing clear individual and institutional responsibility.
“However, mourning cannot substitute for accountability, and an investigation cannot be considered complete unless it establishes how 37 people came to die in the custody of the state and identifies those responsible where wrongdoing is found,” the statement read.
As the Niger State Police Command and a federal probe committee commence their respective inquiries, the FNMHC’s intervention serves as a vital civic checkpoint. It reminds the government and the public alike that in the face of such profound loss, the integrity of the investigative process is the only bridge between tragedy and justice. Until the facts are laid bare and culpability is established, the nation’s demand for transparency must remain unwavering.
Promise Idoko is Junior Reporter working with moderncrux He covers global politics and international affairs. Based in Nigeria,
