The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has demanded an immediate, independent and transparent investigation into the deaths of 37 Nigerians reportedly held in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.
The opposition party also condemned the reported use of ammunition and tear gas by security agencies against protesters who took to the streets to demand answers over the deaths, warning that excessive use of force could lead to further casualties.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Abubakar, the APM described the deaths as disturbing and said a thorough investigation was necessary to establish what happened.
The party said the incident had raised serious questions about the conditions under which the detainees were held and the circumstances that led to their deaths.
According to the APM, explanations that the deceased were suspected illegal miners and that some reportedly died following a suspected disease outbreak did not, on their own, sufficiently explain the scale of the fatalities.
The party expressed particular concern over reports that 66 detainees were held in the same cell, with 37 subsequently dying.
It called for an investigation into allegations of excessive heat and the reported spraying of an unidentified substance inside the facility.
“It is unimaginable that 66 persons were cramped into a cell where 37 of them died of excessive heat and after being reportedly sprayed with a yet-to-be-identified substance,” the party said.
The APM said the incident had renewed concerns over the treatment of suspects and detainees in government facilities, stressing that the rights and dignity of citizens should be protected irrespective of the allegations against them.
The party also expressed concern over the reported confrontation between security agencies and protesters demanding accountability over the deaths.
It urged security agencies to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could escalate tensions or result in additional loss of lives.
“The lives of citizens must be treated with dignity as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The death of citizens in detention facilities cannot be justified under any guise,” the party said.
The APM consequently called for an expeditious, open, transparent and unrestricted investigation into the incident.
It said the probe should establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths, the conditions in which the detainees were held, the reported use of an unidentified substance and the circumstances surrounding the alleged use of ammunition and tear gas against protesters.
The party further demanded appropriate sanctions against any individual or institution found culpable after the investigation.
While commiserating with the families of the deceased and the people of Niger State, the APM urged Nigerians to remain calm and allow investigators to establish the facts surrounding the incident.
