Blessing Akinlosotu, a public affairs analyst and civil society advocate, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency regarding detention and correctional facilities across Nigeria. The call follows the recent deaths of 37 alleged illegal miners who were in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
Akinlosotu, who serves as the Director of the National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN), made the statement on Wednesday. It came shortly after the release of a report by a committee established to investigate the incident. The committee, chaired by Jonathan Kure, the Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), concluded that the miners died of suffocation while in custody.
In his reaction to the findings, Akinlosotu highlighted that the primary takeaway from the report was the deplorable condition of the detention facility in Minna. He described the facility as unhealthy, inhumane, severely overcrowded, and grossly unfit for human habitation.
The advocate called for the full implementation of the committee’s recommendations and commensurate punishment for all individuals found culpable for the deaths. He argued that the tragedy in Minna was not merely a result of recklessness or negligence, but rather indicative of systemic underfunding.
“The NSCDC and other national security agencies appear overwhelmed by their enormous responsibilities,” Akinlosotu stated. “It will not be too much or out of place to declare a state of emergency on detention facilities and even correctional centres in Nigeria.”
The incident has drawn attention to the broader challenges facing Nigeria’s correctional and detention systems, with civil society groups now pressing for immediate structural reforms and accountability measures.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
