Activist politician Aisha Yesufu has publicly questioned the circumstances surrounding the deaths of roughly 40 suspected illegal miners who were in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
The miners, arrested for illegal mining activities, died while being held by the NSCDC, prompting survivors to claim that the fatalities did not appear to be accidental. Yesufu highlighted these survivor accounts in a post on her official social‑media page.
“How did you arrest young people mining and almost 40 die in your custody? How?!”
She added, “From what survivors are recounting, it is not looking accidental!” and used the incident to criticize the government’s treatment of citizens in custody, stating, “Nigeria is the one that radicalizes its citizens against itself!”
The NSCDC, a federal paramilitary agency tasked with protecting lives and property, operates across Nigeria’s states, including Niger State in the country’s north‑central region. The agency’s handling of the detainees has come under scrutiny following the reported deaths, though officials have not yet provided a detailed explanation.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
