Shettima: Anyone Culpable In Deaths Of 37 Niger Miners Will Face Justice

Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured families of the 37 suspected miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State that the federal government will establish the circumstances surrounding their deaths and ensure that anyone found culpable is held accountable.

FEThe Vice President also announced a ₦250 million federal government donation to the families of the deceased.

Shettima gave the assurance on Monday during a condolence visit to Minna, the Niger State capital, where he conveyed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s sympathies to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, the bereaved families and the people of the state.

The 37 persons died on September 17 after being detained by the NSCDC on suspicion of illegal mining. The circumstances surrounding their deaths have not been established.

According to a statement by the Vice President’s spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said President Tinubu had directed a comprehensive investigation into the incident.

He said the federal government had constituted a 10-member independent investigative committee and suspended officers connected with the incident pending the outcome of the investigation.

Describing the deaths as “a blot on our national conscience,” Shettima said the government’s responsibility to protect the life and dignity of every Nigerian does not end when a citizen is taken into custody.

“The deaths of 37 young men in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps are a blot on our national conscience. No parent should receive a body when they are waiting for a son to come home,” he said.

The Vice President said the Tinubu administration would not prejudge the investigation but would ensure that the circumstances surrounding the deaths were thoroughly established and responsibility determined.

“On President Tinubu’s directive, an independent investigative panel has been constituted to establish the facts, determine responsibility and lay the foundation for justice and closure,” he said.

Shettima added that no allegation against a person should deprive them of their right to protection while in state custody.

“There can be no repose for leaders when lives are lost within the perimeter of their care. A citizen deprived of liberty remains entitled to the protection of the state.

“No allegation, however grave, diminishes that entitlement. No uniform confers immunity from accountability,” he stated.

He further said the government’s response was not limited to determining the immediate cause of the deaths, stressing that accountability and due process remained fundamental obligations of the state.

“We owe justice to every soul lost, answers to every bereaved family and due process to every person under investigation. Whoever is found culpable must answer before the law. Our duty to you outlives this visit,” he added.

The independent committee inaugurated by the federal government is mandated to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.

The committee is chaired by retired deputy director-general of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, while former director-general of the Nigerian Law School, Prof Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, serves as secretary.

Shettima said the tragedy should also remind law enforcement agencies that the protection of human dignity remains a responsibility of government.

“We have come to you today without the togas of partisan politics. We come as sympathisers, as parents, as uncles and aunts, as brothers and sisters, and, above all, as leaders entrusted with your protection,” he said.

“We have come to share your grief, to hear your concerns, to stand beside the bereaved and to reaffirm our obligation to protect every citizen, without distinction or exception.”

The Vice President thanked Governor Bago for supporting the pursuit of justice and providing care for those affected.

“Every victim deserves dignity, every survivor deserves care, and every family deserves the truth,” he said.

He also prayed for the repose of the deceased and strength for their families.

Earlier, Governor Bago commended Shettima for visiting Niger State on behalf of the President, describing the visit as a demonstration of empathy and solidarity with the affected families.

Bago noted that both President Tinubu and the Vice President were out of the country when the incident occurred, with the President on annual leave and Shettima representing Nigeria at the United Nations General Assembly.

The governor said the President’s message had been clearly conveyed to the families of the victims and the people of Niger State.

Also speaking, the Principal Private Secretary to the governor, Mr Emmanuel Umar, said the deaths had left the affected families, communities and the state in grief.

Umar thanked Shettima for visiting the state personally, saying the gesture demonstrated the federal government’s solidarity with the victims’ families.

After his visit to Niger State, Shettima proceeded to Maiduguri, Borno State, to condole with Governor Babagana Zulum over the death of Amina (Inna) Zulum.

The Vice President prayed for the repose of her soul and for the family to be granted the fortitude to bear the loss.