Full List: Names of 37 miners who died in NSCDC custody in Niger released

The names of the 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State have been released by the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), days after the deaths triggered protests and calls for an independent investigation.

The victims were among scores of people arrested during NSCDC operations on September 15 and 16 around the Lt. Gen. Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate and Lukoto mining areas of Minna, the Niger State capital.

The detainees were subsequently held at an NSCDC facility in Minna, where 37 were found dead on September 17.

The circumstances and cause of the deaths remain under investigation. The NSCDC initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, while survivors and other accounts raised concerns about overcrowding and poor ventilation inside the detention facility. Autopsies and other investigations have been ordered to establish what happened. (AP News)

According to the IHRC, it initially obtained the names from records at Minna General Hospital. Four additional names were subsequently added after relatives of people who were missing approached the organisation.

The Federal Ministry of Interior has since constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the arrests, detention conditions, identities of the deceased and the causes and circumstances of their deaths. The committee has two weeks to submit its report.

Full list of the 37 victims

1. Ibrahim Sani
2. Fahad Sa’adu
3. Abdulsalam Ismail
4. Usman Aliyu
5. Abubakar Alhaji
6. Sani Nasir
7. Sanusi Khalid
8. Ahmad Aliyu
9. Safiyanu Abdullahi
10. Suleiman Dantala
11. Idris Haruna
12. Sani Yakubu
13. Safiyanu Abubakar
14. Abdullahi Abubakar
15. Abubakar Musa
16. Abdul Mudassir
17. Suleiman Lawal
18. Usman Abdullahi
19. Samuel Sambo
20. Ibrahim Musa
21. Yusuf Nasiru
22. Umar Lawal
23. Isyaku Amisu
24. Bissallah Adamu
25. Abdulbari Suleiman
26. Shafisu Lado
27. Usman Ahmad
28. Usman Ibrahim
29. Sani Isyaku
30. Musa Ibrahim
31. Idris Bashir
32. Kabiru Suleiman
33. Emmanuel Emeka
34. Mu’awiya AbdulKarim
35. Abdul Gafar Abubakar
36. Usman Haruna
37. Yaro Salihu Soba

TheCable reported that the first 33 names were contained in the General Hospital Minna records provided to the IHRC, while Mu’awiya AbdulKarim, Abdul Gafar Abubakar, Usman Haruna and Yaro Salihu Soba were later added after relatives contacted the human-rights organisation.

What happened to the detainees?

The deaths occurred shortly after the NSCDC arrested the suspects over alleged illegal mining activities. The corps said on September 17 that scores of detainees had been found dead following what it described as a suspected disease outbreak.

However, a survivor told the Associated Press that a large number of detainees had been held in a poorly ventilated cell, raising the possibility that overcrowding and suffocation contributed to the deaths. Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago subsequently announced that the bodies had been taken to Minna General Hospital for autopsies.

The controversy led to protests in Minna on September 18. Police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators, while the Niger State Government imposed a temporary curfew following violence associated with the protests.

The Federal Government subsequently suspended the Niger State NSCDC commandant and other officers connected with the incident. The Interior Ministry later announced the suspension of 20 additional NSCDC personnel and established an independent panel to determine responsibility, negligence or misconduct, as well as the cause and circumstances of the deaths.

The Nigerian Bar Association and civil society organisations have also called for a transparent and independent investigation into the deaths.

For now, no final official finding has established the cause of death of the 37 detainees. The outcome of the government-ordered investigation, including medical and forensic examinations, is expected to provide further evidence about what occurred inside the NSCDC facility.

The release of the names gives families and authorities a basis for identifying the deceased, while the ongoing investigation is expected to establish how the detainees died and whether any individuals or officials should be held responsible.