LAGOS, September 19, 2026
The Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Organization (GAFAMORG) and the National Coalition Against Mass Killings, Extra-Judicial Killings, Mob Actions and Impunity (NCAMKI) have called for a comprehensive investigation into the reported deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
In a joint statement issued on Saturday, the two civil society organisations said the circumstances surrounding the deaths should be investigated beyond determining the immediate causes of death, urging authorities to examine whether failures in detention and custody safeguards contributed to the tragedy.
The organisations expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and called for the protection of surviving detainees, access to medical attention, information and justice for affected families.
According to GAFAMORG and NCAMKI, the investigation should cover the entire chain of events, including the legality and documentation of the arrests, identities and ages of detainees, detention capacity and possible overcrowding, ventilation, sanitation, food and water, medical care, exposure to hazardous substances or disease, custody registers, complaints, transfers and supervision.
They also called for scrutiny of compliance with applicable criminal justice and detention oversight laws, particularly the Niger State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2022.
The organisations said authorities should determine whether mandatory safeguards were followed and, where breaches occurred, whether there were appropriate consequences for deliberate or negligent non-compliance.
“A law that is not enforced is not an effective safeguard,” the organisations said, arguing that oversight mechanisms must be backed by meaningful accountability.
State Police Debate
GAFAMORG and NCAMKI also linked the incident to the wider debate over State Police, arguing that expanded policing powers must be accompanied by enforceable safeguards, independent oversight, transparent custody systems and remedies for violations.
They said no institution exercising arrest and detention powers should operate outside effective accountability mechanisms simply because it is not the Nigeria Police Force.
The organisations further maintained that any move towards State Police should be accompanied by publicly accessible laws, rules, safeguards, oversight mechanisms and remedies for abuse.
Civil Society Monitoring
The organisations said they would seek relevant official records concerning the arrests, detention conditions and deaths and monitor the investigations.
They also plan to examine compliance with the Niger State ACJL and applicable custody safeguards, engage relevant justice, police, NSCDC, National Human Rights Commission and other authorities, and advocate for proper forensic investigation and preservation of evidence.
They said they would also review the practical implementation of detention safeguards, including custody registers, inspection procedures, medical monitoring, reporting and consequences for non-compliance.
The organisations said lessons from the incident would be incorporated into GAFAMORG's 46 Safeguards for State Policing and Justice Delivery in Nigeria, while continuing their documentation of custody deaths, alleged extra-judicial killings, custodial abuse and impunity.
GAFAMORG and NCAMKI stressed that their intervention was not intended to replace any criminal investigation but to ensure that institutional responsibility and the safeguards designed to prevent avoidable deaths are also examined.
“No citizen becomes rightless because he or she has been arrested, and no institution should be beyond accountability under the law,” the organisations said, invoking the legacy of late human-rights lawyer and activist Gani Fawehinmi.
They concluded with a call for the police to establish the truth, forensic investigators to determine the facts, prosecutors to act where evidence warrants and the courts to deliver justice.
The organisations said the wider question Nigeria must answer is: “Where were the safeguards, and if they were ignored, who will be held accountable?”
Signed:
Comrade Babatunde Agunbiade, Chairman, Governing Council, GAFAMORG; and
Comrade Ade Adeoye Adewunmi and the Secretariat of NCAMKI.
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