NBA seeks transparent investigation of 37 suspects death in Niger State

The Nigerian Bar Association has called for a thorough, independent and transparent investigation into the deaths of 37 persons arrested over alleged illegal mining and held in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State.

The NBA President, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, said the deaths of the detainees in government custody required an investigation capable of establishing what happened and ensuring accountability where responsibility is established.

The association said it had deliberately refrained from reaching conclusions on the cause of the deaths ahead of the outcome of investigations.

“The deaths of 37 persons while in the custody of a government agency is an event of the utmost gravity and demands a thorough, independent, transparent and credible investigation,” the NBA said.

It said the investigation must establish how 37 people died within a short period while in custody, the conditions in which they were detained, the capacity of the facility and the medical attention available to them.

“Difficult questions must be answered,” the association said, listing questions about the circumstances of the deaths, the condition of the detention facility and “what is the scientific cause of death.”

The NBA also said reports that some detainees cried out for help as they struggled to breathe must form part of the investigation.

“The investigation must therefore establish who heard those cries, what they knew, what they did, and when they did it,” it said.