The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has demanded an independent investigation into the deaths of 37 miners who died in government custody in Niger State, insisting that the victims’ identities be confirmed and their families compensated.
In a statement issued Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the men were arrested alive during raids on mining sites but were later returned to their families as corpses, calling the circumstances a matter requiring full transparency.
The ADC demanded the release of the victims’ detention records, independent autopsies, public disclosure of the deceased’s identities, compensation for their families, and the prosecution of any officials found responsible.
“Thirty-seven Nigerians entered government custody alive. Their families are now being asked to receive their bodies. This is an indictment of this government about the value of the average Nigerian life,” the statement read. “Low-income Nigerians are not disposable, and no Nigerian should lose his or her life simply because they were arrested while struggling to survive.”
The party said the miners retained their constitutional rights despite being detained during the raids, adding: “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.”
The ADC tied the deaths to broader economic hardship, arguing that unemployment and the rising cost of living have pushed many Nigerians into dangerous, informal work.
“The same APC-led federal government that has failed to provide jobs is now criminalising the desperation created by its own policies,” the party said. “Food is unaffordable, transportation has become a luxury, businesses are closing, and legitimate opportunities are disappearing. Yet, rather than confront these failures, the government continues to punish the victims of its failures.”
It further accused authorities of targeting the poor while shielding those who profit from illegal mining and insecurity, saying: “The poor are arrested for digging to survive, while the powerful men who finance illegal mining, sponsor insecurity and cart away Nigeria’s mineral wealth remain beyond the reach of the law. The Tinubu administration has made honest work scarce, survival expensive and insecurity profitable.”
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