The Northern Senators Forum has demanded a forensic investigation into the final hours of 37 suspected illegal miners who reportedly died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State.
Rather than limiting the probe to the cause of death, the senators want investigators to reconstruct the entire chain of events—from the arrests and detention of the suspects to alleged distress calls and the response of officers on duty.
The demand was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’adua, on Saturday.
The forum said the reported circumstances surrounding the deaths raised serious questions about the conditions under which the detainees were held and the response to their alleged calls for help.
It wants investigators to establish who ordered the arrests, where the suspects were initially taken, who authorised their detention at the facility and whether the room where they were held was suitable for detention.
The senators also want the investigation to establish when the detainees allegedly began calling for help, who heard the calls, what action was taken and why the situation allegedly ended in the deaths of 37 people.
The forum called for the National Human Rights Commission, Nigerian Bar Association, credible civil society organisations and independent forensic experts to participate in the investigation.
It further demanded independent autopsies on all 37 bodies, with representatives of the victims’ families and independent pathologists allowed to participate.
According to the senators, the investigation must not stop at administrative findings. They said anyone found to have contributed to the deaths through criminal negligence, unlawful detention, reckless conduct or deliberate actions should face prosecution, regardless of rank.
“No Nigerian, regardless of the allegation against him, should lose his life in the custody of an agency established to protect lives and property,” the forum said.
The senators also called for a nationwide audit of detention facilities operated by security agencies, saying the Minna incident should prompt a broader examination of the conditions under which suspects are held across the country.
The forum commended the Federal Government for ordering an investigation and the Niger State Government for what it described as measures taken to support the affected families and cooperate with investigators.
The reported deaths occurred after the suspects were arrested over alleged illegal mining activities in Niger State.
The Federal Government has since ordered an investigation, while 20 NSCDC officers have reportedly been suspended pending the outcome of the probe.
For the Northern Senators Forum, however, the central issue now is establishing what happened inside the detention facility—and whether the deaths could have been prevented.