Vice President Kashim Shettima has pledged that anyone found responsible for the deaths of 37 suspected miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State will face the law, declaring that no uniform shields its wearer from accountability.
Shettima gave the assurance on Monday during a condolence visit to Minna, where he announced a federal government donation of ₦250 million to the bereaved families and conveyed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s sympathies to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago and the people of the state.
The 37 men died on September 17 after being detained on suspicion of illegal mining. The cause of their deaths has yet to be established.
Describing the incident as a stain on the nation’s conscience, the Vice President said detention does not extinguish a citizen’s right to life, dignity and protection by the state.
“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 recalled that President Tinubu had ordered a comprehensive investigation into the tragedy.
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 probe.
He assured the families that the administration would establish the facts and pursue accountability while preserving due process for everyone under investigation.
“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.
“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 said.
The Vice President said the government’s obligation extended beyond identifying the immediate cause of the deaths to securing justice and preventing a recurrence.
“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 said.
The investigative committee is chaired by a retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, while a former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma, serves as secretary. Its mandate is to examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents.
The Vice President said effective law enforcement must uphold human dignity, stressing that the visit was an expression of the government’s responsibility to the bereaved.
“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.
He thanked Governor Bago for supporting the pursuit of justice and providing care for those affected, adding: “Every victim deserves dignity, every survivor deserves care, and every family deserves the truth.”
The Vice President prayed for God’s mercy upon the deceased and strength for their families to bear the loss.
Governor Umar Bago thanked the Vice President for visiting on behalf of the President, describing the gesture as a demonstration of empathy and solidarity with the affected families.
The governor said the two leaders were outside Nigeria when the incident occurred. President Tinubu was on annual leave, while Shettima was representing the country at the United Nations General Assembly.
He said the Vice President’s presence had reinforced the President’s condolence message and assured the families of the federal government’s concern.
“Your message has been delivered clearly to the families and the people of Niger State,” he said, emphasising that the occasion was devoted to mourning the deceased and comforting their loved ones.
Also speaking, the governor’s Principal Private Secretary, Emmanuel Umar, said the tragedy had plunged the families and the entire state into grief.
He described Shettima’s visit as a personal gesture of compassion and an assurance that the federal government stood with the people in their moment of distress.
“We are particularly grateful that you have chosen to come in person. Your presence sends a powerful message of solidarity to the affected families and to all the people of Niger State,” he said.
After the visit, Shettima proceeded to Maiduguri, Borno State, to commiserate with Governor Babagana Zulum over the death of Amina, known as Inna Zulum, who died earlier on Monday.
He prayed that Allah grant her Aljanna Firdaus and give the family strength to bear the loss.
