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The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has called for a thorough, independent and transparent investigation into the deaths of 37 persons arrested over suspected illegal mining and held in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State.
The association also demanded that authorities identify the owners, financiers, controllers and beneficiaries of the mining operations allegedly linked to the detainees, warning that enforcement should not end with workers found at mining sites.
The NBA President, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, made the call in a statement issued on Saturday following the deaths reported on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
The association stressed that the deceased were suspects and had not been convicted of any offence.
“Beyond that, the authorities must establish precisely what roles these individuals played in the mining operations in question,” the statement said.
The NBA said illegal mining remained a serious national problem because of its impact on government revenue, communities and the environment, and its alleged links in some cases to organised criminal activity.
While supporting lawful enforcement of mining regulations, the association insisted that investigations must also target those who organise, finance and profit from illegal mining.
“But enforcement cannot stop with the people performing physical labour at a mining site. Where illegal mining operations are organised, financed or commercially exploited by other persons, the law must also reach those who own, finance, control and ultimately profit from those operations,” it said.
The NBA warned against a situation where poverty and vulnerability make labourers easy targets for arrest while the alleged masterminds and beneficiaries of illegal mining remain unidentified.
It urged authorities to establish ownership and control of the mining operations and prosecute anyone found culpable.
The association also cautioned against rushing to conclusions on the circumstances surrounding the deaths, saying evidence must guide the investigation.
“The NBA deliberately refrained from making an immediate pronouncement on the cause or circumstances of these deaths. At a time of understandable grief, anger and speculation, we considered it important that the Association charged with defending the rule of law should not itself reach conclusions ahead of the evidence,” the statement said.
However, it described the deaths as an incident of “the utmost gravity” and demanded answers on how 37 people died within a short period while in custody.
The NBA said investigators should examine the conditions under which the detainees were held, the capacity and ventilation of the facility, medical care available to them and the scientific cause of death.
It also called for proper investigation of reports concerning overcrowding, lack of ventilation and the treatment of detainees before their deaths.
“A suspect is not a convict, whether rich or poor, powerful or powerless,” the association said, stressing that the principle should guide the treatment of anyone deprived of liberty by the state.
The NBA further demanded an investigation into reports that some detainees cried for help while struggling to breathe.
It said investigators must establish “who heard those cries, what they knew, what they did, and when they did it.”
The association also called for a wider review of custodial conditions across security and law-enforcement agencies.
It acknowledged measures already taken by the government, including the suspension of the Niger State NSCDC Commandant and the establishment of investigative mechanisms by the NSCDC and Niger State Government.
The NBA also noted interventions by the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the Minister of Interior, as well as President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a full and transparent investigation.
The association said the effectiveness of the response would ultimately depend on the independence and thoroughness of the investigations, transparency of the findings and accountability for any wrongdoing established.
The NBA expressed additional concern over reports that children may have been among those detained or deceased, saying their ages and identities must be officially established.
It said investigators should determine who took children to the mining sites, who controlled the operations and who benefited from their labour.
“A child found working at an illegal mining site may him or herself be a victim requiring the protection of the State, rather than simply an offender from whom the State requires protection,” the NBA said.
The association disclosed that it had constituted a team headed by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former NBA General Secretary, Jonathan Gunu Taidi, SAN, to engage the families of the deceased, survivors and relevant authorities.
The team is expected to independently examine the circumstances surrounding the arrests, detention and deaths.
The NBA also called for the preservation of evidence, proper forensic and medical examinations, and protection of surviving detainees and witnesses from intimidation.
It urged Nigerians to remain calm while the investigations continue, stressing that the deaths require answers based on evidence rather than speculation.
