The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has called for criminal prosecutions, remedies for victims and enforceable reforms following the deaths of 33 detainees in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, the group expressed “profound outrage” at the findings of the Federal Government’s investigation, which confirmed that 14 of the dead were children.
According to the investigation’s findings, severe overcrowding, poor ventilation, extreme heat, dehydration and officers’ failure to respond to repeated distress calls were responsible for the deaths. The committee chairman reportedly said about 50 male detainees were confined in a cell measuring just 12 square metres, and that they cried out for help and water as conditions worsened, but none came.
RULAAC said suspected involvement in illegal mining does not extinguish detainees’ rights to life, dignity and humane treatment, adding that arrest places a person under the state’s protection and responsibility.
The organisation offered condolences to the bereaved families and solidarity to survivors, noting that the deaths of children made the failure of protection “especially devastating.” It acknowledged the investigation and the Minister of Interior’s commitment to accountability, but said the government’s response would be judged by prosecutions where evidence supports them, effective remedies and visible changes in custodial practice.
RULAAC listed six demands. First, it urged the Federal Government to publish the investigation report, with narrow redactions to protect children, survivors and witnesses, along with an implementation timetable, the institutions responsible for each recommendation, and regular progress reports.
Second, the group called on the Attorney-General of the Federation to ensure prompt, independent criminal investigation and prosecution wherever evidence warrants. It said scrutiny must extend to those who authorised and supervised the operation, controlled detention conditions, issued instructions affecting emergency access, or failed to act on known danger. Suspension, dismissal or transfer, it said, cannot substitute for prosecution.
Third, RULAAC demanded a separate investigation into reports that the cell was washed, disinfected and renumbered in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence. It called for custody registers, duty rosters, operational instructions, communications, medical records, photographs and burial documentation to be secured, and for survivors, families and cooperating officers to be protected from intimidation.
Fourth, on compensation, the committee recommended ₦1.4 billion, educational support for dependants, medical and psychological assistance, and a formal government apology. RULAAC urged the government to announce its decisions promptly and set up an accessible process for delivering remedies, insisting that compensation must not require families to give up their right to pursue justice.
Fifth, the group asked the National Human Rights Commission, working with other oversight bodies, to urgently inspect facilities run by the NSCDC and other agencies with custodial powers. Unsafe cells, it said, should stop receiving detainees until deficiencies are fixed, and existing detainees’ cases should be reviewed for lawful release or safe transfer. Inspections should assess occupancy, ventilation, sanitation, drinking water, medical access, detention records, and access to lawyers and families.
Sixth, RULAAC called for verified occupancy limits, regular welfare checks, emergency medical procedures, and clear duties requiring immediate action when detainees show distress. It said officers must have explicit authority to initiate rescue without waiting indefinitely for an unavailable superior. It also called for age verification, safeguarding and alternatives to detention for children, and said mass arrests must not proceed without lawful grounds and adequate planning.
RULAAC further urged the National Assembly to scrutinise implementation and require public reporting on custodial deaths and corrective action.
“The state must explain every death in its custody,” the organisation said. “Families deserve truth, survivors deserve care, and those responsible must answer through due process. These 33 lives must not become another investigation report without consequences.”
