Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday visited Minna, the Niger State capital, to commiserate with the government and people of the state over the deaths of 37 artisanal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, announcing a N250 million Federal Government support package for the bereaved families while demanding accountability from those responsible and warning against politicising the tragedy.
Shettima, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was received at the Government House in Minna by Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago and members of the state executive council. The Vice President said he was in the state to convey the President’s condolences to the government, the bereaved families and the people of Niger State over the deaths, which occurred on September 17, 2026, after the miners were arrested during anti-illegal mining operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state. “The death of 37 young men in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps is a stain on our national conscience,” Shettima said. “A citizen deprived of liberty remains entitled to the protection of the state. No allegation, however grave, diminishes that entitlement”.
The Vice President was unequivocal in his demand for accountability, saying no uniform or position should shield anyone from responsibility. “No uniform compels immunity from accountability,” he said. “We owe justice to every soul lost, answers to every bereaved family, and due process to every person under investigation”. He disclosed that the Federal Government had constituted an independent panel to investigate the incident and assured that anyone found culpable, irrespective of how highly placed, would face the full weight of the law. He stressed that the circumstances surrounding the deaths must not be swept under the carpet. “The death of 37 young men in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps calls for initial questions,” he said. “A grieving mother cannot be consoled by grief, nor can grief answer a father’s questions. There can be no room for hiding for leaders when lives are lost within the perimeter of their sphere”.
The Vice President also cautioned against using the tragedy to demonise Governor Bago, noting that the NSCDC is a federal agency and not under the state government’s control. “We should avoid weaponising the departed to demonise Governor Bago. He had no hand in what has befallen their lives,” Shettima said. He urged Nigerians to allow the tragedy to transcend political, religious and other divisions, stressing that every citizen was entitled to the protection of the state regardless of ethnic, religious, political or social background. He said every victim deserved dignity, survivors deserved care, and the families of the deceased deserved the truth about what happened.
The N250 million support package, which the Vice President described as the President’s donation, is intended to cushion the hardship being experienced by the bereaved families. Shettima acknowledged that no amount of money could adequately compensate for the loss of human lives or answer the questions being asked by grieving relatives. He said the Federal Government would continue to support the families and ensure that the investigation into the deaths was thorough and transparent.
The tragedy has cast a long shadow over Niger State, which has endured a series of security and humanitarian crises in recent months, including banditry, kidnapping, communal violence, road crashes and petrol tanker explosions. Governor Bago, in his response, thanked the Vice President for the visit and for conveying the President’s condolences, describing it as a demonstration of empathy and solidarity with the affected families and the people of Niger State. He said the state government’s demand for justice was not an act of vengeance but a moral obligation to ensure that citizens did not lose their lives in the hands of those entrusted with their protection. “The call for justice made by the state government is not an act of vengeance, but a moral obligation to ensure that citizens don’t lose their lives in the hands of those sworn to protect them,” Bago said. He assured the Federal Government of the state’s cooperation with the investigative team constituted to unravel the circumstances surrounding the deaths, stressing that the people of Niger State deserved answers and the families deserved justice.
The Governor also appealed to the Federal Government to strengthen regulation of the mining sector, protect national assets and provide safe, legal and dignified opportunities for young Nigerians. “The tragedy of September 17 must not be allowed to repeat itself, not in Minna, not anywhere in Nigeria,” he said. His remarks underscored the complex context in which the deaths occurred. Illegal mining has become a significant challenge across Nigeria’s mineral-rich states, providing livelihoods for thousands of young people while also generating environmental degradation, revenue loss and security risks. The Federal Government has sought to regulate the sector and combat illegal mining, but enforcement has often been heavy-handed, and the deaths in Minna have focused attention on the treatment of artisanal miners and the conditions in which they are detained.
The incident has also raised questions about the conduct of the NSCDC, which has faced criticism over its handling of the miners. Following the deaths, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, suspended 24 officers, including the Niger State Commandant, pending the outcome of investigations. The NSCDC also ordered its flag to be flown at half-mast for three days as a mark of mourning and institutional remorse. The Federal Government constituted a 10-member independent committee chaired by Mr Jonathan Kure, a retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, to investigate the circumstances of the arrests, detention and deaths, and to recommend appropriate action, including compensation and measures to prevent a recurrence.
During the visit, Governor Bago invited relatives of some of the deceased to stand and be identified. The families who spoke after the meeting expressed appreciation for the Vice President’s visit and the Federal Government’s intervention, saying it demonstrated that the government was concerned about their plight and had not abandoned them. The Vice President was also expected to visit the Emir of Minna, Umar Farouk Bahago, and former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida before returning to Abuja.
For the families of the 37 deceased, the N250 million support and the Vice President’s visit represent a measure of recognition of their loss, but the pain of losing loved ones in custody remains raw. For the Federal Government, the tragedy presents a test of its commitment to accountability and the protection of citizens deprived of liberty. For Nigerians watching the events unfold, the deaths of 37 young men in the custody of a federal agency have become a symbol of the broader challenge of ensuring that the state protects the very citizens it detains. As Shettima put it, no allegation, however grave, diminishes the entitlement of a citizen deprived of liberty to the protection of the state, and no uniform compels immunity from accountability. The coming weeks will determine whether the investigation delivers the justice and answers that the families and the nation demand.
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