The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has demanded an immediate and independent investigation into the reported deaths of 37 Nigerians who allegedly died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
The opposition party, in a statement issued on Friday, September 18, by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, called for an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The ADC also demanded that independent autopsies be conducted on the deceased, while calling for the identities and detention records of the victims to be made public.
It further asked the government to compensate the families of the deceased and prosecute any officials found culpable after a proper investigation.
According to the party, the victims were reportedly arrested during raids on mining sites but remained entitled to their constitutional rights, including the rights to life, dignity and due process.
“Thirty-seven Nigerians entered government custody alive. Their families are now being asked to receive their bodies. This is an indictment on this government about the value of the average Nigerian life,” the party said.
The ADC argued that economic hardship could not justify the violation of citizens’ rights, stressing that poverty or unemployment should not expose Nigerians to arbitrary treatment by security agencies.
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“We must be clear: poverty is not a capital offence. Unemployment is not a death sentence. No accusation, whatever the case, gives any government institution the right to return citizens to their families in body bags,” it added.
The party connected the reported deaths to the broader economic difficulties confronting Nigerians, particularly rising living costs and unemployment.
It accused the Federal Government of disproportionately criminalising the activities of poor Nigerians who resort to informal work to survive, while alleging that more powerful actors linked to illegal mining and related criminal networks were not being pursued with equal vigour.
The ADC urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to determine whether security agencies were adequately protecting citizens and upholding their constitutional rights.
It also called for greater attention to job creation, security and access to justice, arguing that the reported deaths should not be dismissed as an isolated incident.
The party reiterated its demand for a comprehensive investigation to establish what happened to the 37 Nigerians and determine responsibility for their deaths.