By Attah Ede
The International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has released the names of 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.
The victims were among scores of suspects apprehended by the NSCDC during operations conducted on September 15 and 16 around the Lt Gen Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate in Minna, the Niger State capital.
The 37 names are:
1. Ibrahim Sani
2. Fahad Sa’adu
3. Abdulsalam Ismail
4. Usman Aliyu
5. Abubakar Alhaji
6. Sani Nasir
7. Sanusi Khalid
8. Ahmad Aliyu
9. Safiyanu Abdullahi
10. Suleiman Dantala
11. Idris Haruna
12. Sani Yakubu
13. Safiyanu Abubakar
14. Abdullahi Abubakar
15. Abubakar Musa
16. Abdul Mudassir
17. Suleiman Lawal
18. Usman Abdullahi
19. Samuel Sambo
20. Ibrahim Musa
21. Yusuf Nasiru
22. Umar Lawal
23. Isyaku Amisu
24. Bissallah Adamu
25. Abdulbari Suleiman
26. Shafisu Lado
27. Usman Ahmad
28. Usman Ibrahim
29. Sani Isyaku
30. Musa Ibrahim
31. Idris Bashir
32. Kabiru Suleiman
33. Emmanuel Emeka
34. Mu’awiya AbdulKarim
35. Abdul Gafar Abubakar
36. Usman Haruna
37. Yaro Salihu Soba
Following the arrests, the NSCDC Commandant in the state at the time, Suberu Aniviye, said scores of detainees were found dead in the early hours of September 17.
He further said, the deaths were linked to a suspected disease outbreak, while the actual cause of death was to be determined through medical examinations.
The incident subsequently prompted the Federal Government to suspend officers involved in the matter and constitute an independent committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The committee’s mandate included examining the arrests and detention of the suspects, as well as determining the cause of the deaths.
The Cable quoted the IHRC as saying it compiled the list of the 37 deceased from records obtained from the General Hospital, Minna.
Awaisu Giwa, International Peace Ambassador of the IHRC, said the commission initially obtained the list through the hospital’s mortuary attendant, following an instruction from the Chief Medical Director (CMD).
Giwa, however, said four additional names were later added after relatives of victims whose names were not contained in the hospital records approached the commission.
“We got the list from the CMD of the general hospital. It was written by the mortuary attendant for us, but we are going to the hospital tomorrow for the list to be on the official letterhead of the hospital,” he said.
“The CMD was the one who instructed the mortuary attendant to give us the names. Some people whose relatives were missing are beginning to report in our office.”
Giwa said the list would also assist the commission in facilitating compensation for the families of the deceased.
