The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for an independent investigation into the deaths of 37 miners who reportedly died while in government custody in Niger State.
The opposition party made the demand through its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement issued on Friday.
The ADC urged authorities to release the detention records of the deceased miners, conduct independent autopsies and publicly disclose their identities.
It also called for adequate compensation for the families of the victims and the prosecution of any government official found responsible for the deaths.
According to the party, the miners were alive when they were arrested during raids on mining sites but were later returned to their families as corpses.
The ADC described the circumstances surrounding the deaths as requiring a transparent investigation, saying the government must establish what happened to the miners while they were in custody.
The party also stressed that arrest or allegations of wrongdoing did not remove the constitutional rights of the affected citizens.
“Poverty is not a capital offence. Unemployment is not a death sentence,” the party said, arguing that no government institution should return citizens to their families in body bags.
The ADC further linked the incident to the economic challenges facing many Nigerians, including unemployment, rising food and transportation costs and limited opportunities for legitimate employment.
The party accused the APC-led Federal Government of failing to address the conditions that push some Nigerians into hazardous activities such as illegal mining.
It also alleged that while poor Nigerians were being arrested for engaging in mining activities to survive, powerful individuals involved in illegal mining and the exploitation of the country’s mineral resources were not being adequately held accountable.
The ADC said a full investigation was necessary to determine the cause of the miners’ deaths and ensure accountability.
The party described the deaths as a matter of public concern and urged the authorities to provide answers to the affected families and the wider public.
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