Families Demand Justice for Miners' Deaths in Niger State

Families of 37 suspected illegal miners who died following their arrest by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State are seeking justice and compensation. The bereaved families reported being denied access to their loved ones during detention and were only informed of their deaths later.

Allegations include that the bodies were left for hours before being taken down from an ambulance at the General Hospital in Minna, with some showing foam and blood around their mouths. This situation has prompted the Federal Government to establish an Independent Committee of Inquiry, inaugurated by Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the miners' deaths.

The committee is chaired by retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, with Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, serving as secretary. Musa Aliyu, who lost two sons, and Lawal Muhammed, who lost his 15-year-old son, shared their grief and the hardships faced by their families due to these tragic events.