The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has called for an immediate and transparent investigation into the deaths of 37 miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State. The opposition party issued the demand in a statement released by its National Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Abubakar, who also condemned the reported use of ammunition and tear gas by security agencies against unarmed citizens protesting the incident.
In the statement, the APM criticized the official explanation that the victims were alleged illegal miners who died from a suspected outbreak of disease within their cell. The party argued that these claims do not justify the high number of fatalities and instead validate reports of inhumane detention conditions.
“It is unimaginable that sixty-six persons were cramped into a cell where 37 of them died of excessive heat and after being reportedly sprayed with a yet to be identified substance,” the statement read.
The APM further noted that the incident reflects the value the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) attaches to human lives. The party highlighted the irony of such treatment by a federal agency, contrasting it with the ongoing suffering of citizens at the hands of terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers. “This is not the Nigeria we dream of,” the statement said, urging that the lives of citizens be treated with dignity as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The party demanded an expeditious, open, and unrestricted probe into the circumstances surrounding the deaths in the APC-controlled agency, as well as the use of force against protesters. The APM emphasized that the death of citizens in detention facilities cannot be justified under any guise.
While expressing sympathy to the families of the victims and the people of Niger State, the APM urged Nigerians to remain calm while awaiting the outcome of the investigation.
<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
