The African Democratic Congress (ADC), and it’s 2027 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has called for an independent and transparent investigation into the deaths of 37 Nigerians who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
The party demanded independent autopsies, the release of the identities and detention records of the deceased, compensation for their families and prosecution of officials found responsible for the deaths.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the incident raised serious questions about the treatment of Nigerians in government custody.
Thirty-seven Nigerians entered government custody alive. Their families are now being asked to receive their bodies,” the party said.
The ADC said the deaths should not be viewed separately from the circumstances that led to the arrest of the victims during raids on mining sites.
It stressed that their arrest did not remove their constitutional rights to life, dignity and due process.
We must be clear: poverty is not a capital offence. Unemployment is not a death sentence, the party said.
No accusation, whatever the case, gives any government institution the right to return citizens to their families in body bags.
The party linked the incident to Nigeria’s economic challenges, arguing that unemployment and the rising cost of living were pushing some citizens into dangerous means of survival.
Food is unaffordable, transportation has become a luxury, businesses are closing and legitimate opportunities are disappearing.
The ADC also questioned the government’s approach to illegal mining, alleging that poor miners were being arrested while those financing illegal mining operations remained beyond the reach of the law.
The poor are arrested for digging to survive, while the powerful men who finance illegal mining, sponsor insecurity and cart away Nigeria’s mineral wealth remain beyond the reach of the law, it said.
The party called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to ensure that the circumstances surrounding the deaths are fully established.
President Tinubu must decide whether Nigeria’s security institutions exist to protect citizens or punish them for being poor, the ADC said.
The statement comes as the party’s 2027 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, also expressed concern over the deaths, calling for an independent investigation and accountability for anyone found responsible.
In a statement, Atiku said the deceased were entitled to protection while in state custody, regardless of the allegations against them.
“These were human beings—sons, fathers, brothers and loved ones, whose families had every right to expect that, whatever allegations they faced, the state would protect their lives and dignity while they remained in its custody,” he said.
Atiku commended the Federal Government for suspending the officers under whose watch the incident occurred and ordering an investigation.
However, he said the action should be followed by a thorough process whose findings are made public.
The investigation must be independent, thorough and transparent, and its findings must be made public, Atiku said.
Anyone found responsible through action, abuse or negligence must be held fully accountable.
The former vice president said the families of the deceased deserved more than condolences, insisting that they should be told the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
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The families of the deceased deserve more than condolences. They deserve the truth. They deserve justice. And Nigerians deserve the assurance that custody by the state will never become a death sentence, he said.
