Senior Advocate Demands Justice for 37 Detainees in Niger

Abdul Mohammed, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has demanded urgent accountability for the deaths of 37 detainees in Minna, Niger State, who died while in custody. During an interview, he highlighted the disturbing circumstances surrounding these deaths, which followed arrests related to alleged illegal mining activities.

Mohammed stressed that the state assumes heightened responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of individuals in custody, asserting that arrest does not strip detainees of their constitutional rights. He called for a thorough investigation into the incident, which has raised serious questions about detention conditions and the adequacy of facilities.

Human rights lawyer Abubakar Marshal described the alleged torture and murder as atrocious and advocated for an independent investigation to identify the causes and perpetrators. The incident has sparked national concern regarding the treatment of detainees and the failures within Nigeria's detention system.