Parents of artisanal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State, have demanded compensation for the bereaved families. The parents are also calling for accountability over the deaths, which occurred after the miners were arrested and detained by the NSCDC. They said compensation would help support the affected families and serve as a deterrent against alleged abuse of power by law enforcement personnel. One of the parents, 50-year-old Musa Aliyu, reportedly lost two of his children, Ibrahim, 17, and Abubakar, 12, in the incident. Aliyu told the News Agency of Nigeria that his two sons had left home for a mining site at Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Housing Estate but never returned. According to him, the family later received information that some miners had been arrested, prompting his wife to go to the Civil Defence office near the PDP Secretariat in search of the children. The deaths have left families in mourning and generated questions about what happened to the miners after they were taken into custody. Reports indicate that dozens of suspected illegal miners were being held in an overcrowded detention facility before the deaths occurred. Survivors have reportedly alleged that the conditions inside the cell were extremely difficult. The Federal Government has responded to the controversy by setting up an independent 10-member committee to investigate the deaths. Twenty NSCDC officers, including the Niger State Commandant, have also been suspended while the investigation continues. The families are now seeking compensation while awaiting the outcome of the investigation. The circumstances surrounding each death, including the exact causes and responsibility for what happened, remain matters for the ongoing investigation to establish. The incident has intensified calls for proper treatment of detainees and greater accountability within security institutions.
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