By Luminous Jannamike
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has put President Bola Tinubu, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, and Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on the spot over the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Niger State.
According to Atiku, the issue goes beyond the suspension of officers already announced by the Federal Government. He said Nigerians must know how 37 people who entered government custody alive ended up dead and who, within the chain of command, should answer for their fate.
Atiku stated this in a statement signed on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, accusing the government of attempting to reduce a major accountability question to the suspension of junior personnel.
“Thirty-seven Nigerians, many of them teenagers, entered government custody alive. Thirty-seven of them died there. The Tinubu administration cannot explain away 37 bodies with press releases, suspensions and bureaucratic excuses,” Atiku said.
He said Tunji-Ojo had questions to answer because the NSCDC, whose officers detained the victims, is under his ministry.
“Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has direct and unavoidable questions to answer. He supervises the agency in whose custody these Nigerians allegedly died,” he said.
Atiku also challenged Alake over enforcement operations in the mining sector, while saying Tinubu could not distance himself from the conduct of agencies under his administration.
“President Tinubu bears ultimate responsibility for the conduct of his government. He cannot behave like a spectator whenever his administration is confronted by tragedy, scandal or failure,” Atiku said.
He demanded an independent criminal investigation into allegations that the detainees were held in an overcrowded, poorly ventilated cell, insisting that the probe must establish who authorised the operation, who ordered the arrests, how many people were detained and who was responsible for their welfare.
“That allegation demands an immediate and independent criminal investigation. It cannot be resolved through an internal inquiry in which government officials investigate government agents and present government-approved conclusions to Nigerians,” he said.
Atiku also called for the preservation of detention registers, operational and communication records, medical reports and available surveillance footage, as well as independent autopsies and representation for the victims’ families.
The former vice president linked the tragedy to the wider pressures driving young Nigerians into illegal mining, arguing that enforcement must not strip suspects of their rights.
“Illegal mining is robbing Nigeria of its resources, destroying communities and threatening national security. It must be confronted firmly. But fighting illegal mining is not a licence for state agents to arrest citizens alive and return their bodies to their families,” he said.
He recalled the 2014 Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment tragedy, when at least 16 job seekers died, and questioned why the standard of accountability should be different in the present case.
“In 2014, at least 16 young Nigerians died during the Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment tragedy. The supervising minister, Abba Moro, was investigated and subsequently prosecuted over matters arising from that exercise. Why should the standard be different today?” Atiku asked.
The Federal Government has suspended 20 NSCDC officers and constituted a 10-member panel to investigate the deaths following President Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive and transparent probe. The actual cause of death has not yet been established, with forensic examinations and autopsies ongoing.
Atiku said the investigation must go beyond administrative sanctions and establish criminal responsibility wherever the evidence points to wrongdoing.
“An allegation is not a death sentence. An arrest warrant is not a warrant to kill. Government custody must never become a gateway to the mortuary,” he said.
He demanded that the findings be made public and those found responsible prosecuted, regardless of rank or political connection.
“We demand the truth. We demand accountability. We demand justice for all 37 victims,” Atiku said.
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