Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has questioned President Bola Tinubu, Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake and Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo over the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
Atiku said the deaths require more than the suspension of NSCDC personnel, insisting that Nigerians deserve answers on how 37 people who entered government custody alive ended up dead.
He made the remarks in a statement signed on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
The former vice president accused the Federal Government of reducing what he described as a major accountability issue to the suspension of junior officers.
“Thirty-seven Nigerians, many of them teenagers, entered government custody alive. Thirty-seven of them died there. The Tinubu administration cannot explain away 37 bodies with press releases, suspensions and bureaucratic excuses,” Atiku said.
Atiku Questions Tunji-Ojo, Alake
Atiku said Tunji-Ojo had questions to answer because the NSCDC operates under the Ministry of Interior.
“Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has direct and unavoidable questions to answer. He supervises the agency in whose custody these Nigerians allegedly died,” he said.
He also questioned Alake over enforcement operations in the mining sector, while arguing that Tinubu could not distance himself from the conduct of agencies operating under his administration.
“President Tinubu bears ultimate responsibility for the conduct of his government. He cannot behave like a spectator whenever his administration is confronted by tragedy, scandal or failure,” Atiku said.
Atiku Demands Independent Investigation
The former vice president called for an independent criminal investigation into allegations that the detainees were held in an overcrowded and poorly ventilated cell.
He said investigators should establish who authorised the operation, who ordered the arrests, how many people were detained and who was responsible for their welfare.
“That allegation demands an immediate and independent criminal investigation. It cannot be resolved through an internal inquiry in which government officials investigate government agents and present government-approved conclusions to Nigerians,” he said.
Atiku also called for the preservation of detention registers, operational and communication records, medical reports and available surveillance footage.
He further demanded independent autopsies and representation for the victims’ families.
Illegal Mining Enforcement
Atiku linked the incident to the wider economic pressures pushing some young Nigerians towards illegal mining, but stressed that enforcement operations must respect the rights of suspects.
“Illegal mining is robbing Nigeria of its resources, destroying communities and threatening national security. It must be confronted firmly. But fighting illegal mining is not a licence for state agents to arrest citizens alive and return their bodies to their families,” he said.
He also recalled the 2014 Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment tragedy, when at least 16 job seekers died, and questioned why the accountability standard should be different in the current case.
“In 2014, at least 16 young Nigerians died during the Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment tragedy. The supervising minister, Abba Moro, was investigated and subsequently prosecuted over matters arising from that exercise. Why should the standard be different today?” Atiku asked.
FG Suspends 20 NSCDC Officers
The Federal Government has suspended 20 NSCDC officers in connection with the deaths and constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the incident. The Niger State NSCDC commandant was also suspended separately.
The panel, constituted following Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive and transparent investigation, is expected to establish the identities of the deceased and examine their arrest, detention and the circumstances surrounding their deaths. It has two weeks to submit its report.
The cause of death has not been conclusively established. Officials have said forensic examinations and autopsies are being conducted, while competing accounts have emerged over the circumstances inside the detention facility.
Atiku said the investigation should go beyond administrative sanctions and establish criminal responsibility wherever the evidence points to wrongdoing.
“An allegation is not a death sentence. An arrest warrant is not a warrant to kill. Government custody must never become a gateway to the mortuary,” he said.
He demanded that the findings be made public and that anyone found responsible be prosecuted, regardless of rank or political connection.
“We demand the truth. We demand accountability. We demand justice for all 37 victims,” Atiku said.
