Miners’ deaths: NCSCN backs NSCDC boss, demands sanctions against culpable officers

…commends suspension of 21 personnel, seeks overhaul of detention facilities

The National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN) has defended the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, over the deaths of 37 young miners in detention in Minna, Niger State, while demanding stringent sanctions against officers found culpable in the incident.

The Council said the Federal Government’s investigative panel did not indict Audi, arguing that the operation that led to the deaths was conducted without the knowledge or approval of the Corps’ national headquarters.

It also commended the suspension of 21 personnel in connection with the incident but called for stiffer sanctions against officers found to have violated operational procedures.

The Executive Director of NCSCN, Ambassador Blessing Akinlosotu, stated the Council’s position on Wednesday in Abuja during a world press conference convened to respond to the report of the Federal Government’s independent committee investigating the deaths.

Akinlosotu said the Council had awaited the report since the 10-member committee was constituted on September 19, 2026, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive for a “full and transparent” investigation into the incident.

According to him, the report established that the operations in M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto were carried out without an operational order or the knowledge and approval of the NSCDC national headquarters.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Panel Report never indicted the Commander-General,” he said, cautioning against attempts to politicise what the Council described as an operational failure at the state level.

The Council also expressed confidence in Audi’s leadership, crediting him with reforms aimed at strengthening the Corps’ professionalism, discipline and institutional capacity.

“The Civil Society Council can unequivocally attest to the professionalism and patriotism of the Commander-General of the NSCDC, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, and his monumental reforms, transformation and repositioning of the NSCDC,” Akinlosotu said.

He argued that the Commandant-General’s leadership record should be considered separately from the actions of officers found to have acted improperly in the discharge of their duties.

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“The Commander-General cannot be everywhere at the same time,” he said, insisting that responsibility for operational failures should be determined by the conduct of the officers involved.

The Council maintained that personnel found culpable should be appropriately sanctioned rather than attributing responsibility to the national leadership without establishing the relevant facts.

Akinlosotu condemned what he described as unprofessional and reckless conduct by officers connected with the incident and supported the suspension of 21 personnel. He, however, called for the dismissal and prosecution of officers of the Niger State Command found culpable.

The Council also called for a comprehensive overhaul of detention facilities operated by security agencies across the country, describing the conditions at the facility where the miners were held as deplorable, inhumane and unsuitable for human habitation.

Akinlosotu said the facility was overcrowded, poorly ventilated and unhealthy, with conditions that reportedly contributed to the suffocation of detainees.

He said the tragedy should prompt the Federal Government to address both individual culpability and institutional weaknesses that could expose people in custody to similar risks.

“The tragedy in Minna is not just about recklessness and negligence; rather, more about systemic underfunding,” he said.

According to him, the NSCDC and other security agencies have extensive responsibilities, including protecting lives and property, safeguarding critical national assets and infrastructure, preventing illegal mining and supporting security initiatives in farming communities.

He argued that discharging these duties required adequate funding, modern equipment and facilities that met acceptable safety and human dignity standards.

“You cannot demand 21st-century security delivery with 19th-century funding,” Akinlosotu said.

The Council urged the Federal Government to improve budgetary allocations to security agencies, particularly for the construction and rehabilitation of detention facilities nationwide.

It also called for a special intervention fund to provide standard, humane and well-ventilated holding facilities across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The proposed intervention, according to the Council, should also cover the procurement of operational vehicles, modern surveillance systems and communication equipment.

In addition, it advocated continuous training and retraining of security personnel in custodial management and human rights compliance.

Akinlosotu urged President Tinubu to examine the panel’s report and implement its recommendations, describing improvements in detention conditions as an urgent national security and human rights priority.

The Council further called on security and law enforcement agencies to ensure the speedy arraignment of suspects before competent courts, warning against prolonged detention without timely recourse to the judicial process.

It said prompt arraignment would help protect constitutional guarantees of fair hearing and human dignity while reducing the risks associated with prolonged detention.

The Council also urged the government to discourage undue and unjustified detention of citizens, stressing that security enforcement must go hand in hand with respect for fundamental rights.

As part of its proposed reforms, the Council called for the declaration of a national emergency on detention facilities and correctional centres, arguing that custodial institutions required urgent government attention.

It maintained that improved funding, modern infrastructure, professional conduct and effective oversight were necessary to prevent a recurrence of the Minna incident and strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s security institutions.