37 Minna miners’ death: Prison Fellowship seeks probe, wider scrutiny of detention facilities
By Our Reporter
The Prison Fellowship Nigeria (PF Nigeria) has called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the reported deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.Download Interactive Maps
The organisation also urged the Federal and Niger State Governments to ensure that the investigations into the incident are transparent, impartial and allowed to establish the facts without interference.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr Jacob Tsado, on Saturday, PF Nigeria expressed condolences to the families and communities affected by the deaths, while cautioning against reaching conclusions on the precise circumstances or causes of the deaths before the completion of medical, forensic and investigative processes.
“Competing accounts have emerged concerning the circumstances of the deaths. PF Nigeria therefore believes that the medical, forensic and investigative processes should be allowed to establish the facts before conclusions are reached about the precise causes of death or responsibility,” Tsado said.
The organisation, however, said the Minna incident should trigger a broader examination of custodial conditions across Nigeria, stressing that scrutiny should not be limited to correctional centres.
According to Tsado, detention facilities operated by law-enforcement, security and other agencies legally empowered to hold suspects should also be subjected to appropriate standards and effective oversight.Download Interactive Maps
He said the issue extends to facilities where suspects may spend days, weeks or longer before being transferred, released, granted bail or otherwise dealt with in accordance with the law.
“The critical question is: Who monitors the conditions under which suspects are held before they enter the formal correctional system?” he asked.
Tsado said every person deprived of liberty, regardless of the agency holding them, should be guaranteed humane conditions, adequate ventilation and sanitation, access to food and water, timely medical attention, protection from abuse, proper custody records, access to legal representation and safeguards against death or ill-treatment in detention.
He stressed that the call should not be interpreted as an indictment of any particular agency, but as a demand for system-wide standards, oversight and accountability.
“The Nigerian Correctional Service should not be the only institution whose custodial conditions attract sustained public scrutiny. Every agency that exercises the power of lawful detention must be subject to appropriate standards and effective oversight,” he said.
The Prison Fellowship Nigeria also used the incident to advocate a shift from what it described as an “incarceration mindset” to a “restoration mindset” in Nigeria’s justice system.
Tsado acknowledged the need for the government to confront illegal mining and other criminal activities firmly and lawfully, but stressed that arrest and detention should not become the default measure of justice.Download Interactive Maps
He said suspicion or accusation of an offence should not deprive anyone of the right to life, dignity and humane treatment.
According to him, restorative justice does not mean abandoning lawful sanctions, weakening public safety or excusing criminal conduct, but provides avenues for addressing harm through diversion, mediation, restitution, rehabilitation, reintegration and community-based accountability where consistent with the law and public safety.
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“Restorative justice is not leniency or impunity. It requires offenders, where appropriate, to confront the consequences of their actions, acknowledge the harm caused and take meaningful steps towards making amends and changing their behaviour,” Tsado said.
He added that restorative justice also gives victims and affected communities a distinct voice, arguing that punishment and restoration should not be viewed as mutually exclusive.
“Accountability and restoration are not competing choices; they are complementary dimensions of justice. The Minna tragedy requires accountability. But beyond accountability, the victims’ families and the wider community need healing, support and restoration,” he said.
Tsado said the central question for Nigeria should not simply be how many people are arrested or imprisoned, but whether the justice system protects life, respects human dignity, holds offenders accountable, gives victims a voice and reduces further harm.Download Interactive Maps
He called on the government, criminal justice institutions, security and law-enforcement agencies, civil society organisations, professional bodies, religious and traditional leaders and development partners to work towards a justice system that combines firmness with humanity, accountability with restoration and public safety with respect for human dignity.
Source:Newsdairy
