The Campaign for Democracy and Civil Society Organisations, CD-CSO Coalition, Human Rights Advocacy Civil Society of Nigeria, North-Central Zone, has expressed deep concern over the deaths of 37 suspected artisanal miners while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Minna, Niger State.

The coalition, in a statement issued on September 21, 2026, commiserated with the Niger State Government, Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, and the families of the deceased over the incident.

The group described the deaths as a serious tragedy and attributed the incident to what it termed a “professional error” and alleged mismanagement of the NSCDC detention facility.

The statement was signed by the North-Central Zone Chairman, Dr. Comrade Abdullahi Mohammed Jabi, also known as Sarkin Yakin Jabi, and the Secretary-General, Comrade Toye Ayobami.

The coalition called on the Niger State and Federal Governments to provide adequate compensation and support to the families of the deceased.

It also demanded transparency in the ongoing investigations, saying accountability would be necessary to restore public confidence and prevent a recurrence.

The CD-CSO Coalition said that, as an independent non-state actor, it would monitor the various investigation panels constituted by the Niger State Government, the Federal Government and the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA.

According to the group, its monitoring would focus on ensuring that the investigations are conducted transparently and that their findings and recommendations are made available to the public.

The coalition commended the Inspector-General of Police and the Commandant-General of the NSCDC for directing investigations into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

It, however, stressed the need for the investigations to establish the immediate and underlying factors that led to the loss of lives and ensure that appropriate measures are taken.

The group said it would also embark on civic education, media advocacy and peacebuilding initiatives across Niger State as part of efforts to calm tensions, promote reconciliation and strengthen community engagement.

It urged relevant authorities and stakeholders to work together to ensure that such an incident does not occur again in Niger State or any other part of the country.