Families Demand Compensation Over Miners’ Deaths in Custody
Families of artisanal miners who died while in the custody of Nigeria’s civil defence agency in Minna, Niger State, have demanded compensation for the victims’ relatives.
The families said financial compensation would provide some relief to those left behind and serve as a deterrent against abuse of power and misconduct by law enforcement personnel.
The miners were among suspected illegal miners arrested during enforcement operations in Niger State before they died in custody.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths remain under investigation. Authorities have yet to establish an official cause, while conflicting accounts have emerged over the conditions in which the detainees were held.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a full and transparent investigation, directing authorities to examine the arrests, detention conditions, medical care provided to the detainees and the events leading to their deaths.
The president said any official found to have contributed to the deaths through abuse or negligence should be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The Niger State commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has also been suspended pending investigations.
The families said accountability should extend beyond the suspension of officials and called for measures to prevent similar incidents in government custody.
