Workers’ Rights Campaign condemns the deaths of 37 artisanal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, in the strongest possible terms. The miners, who were among 67 people arrested during operations on 15 and 16 September around the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state, entered NSCDC custody alive. Within two days, they were dead. This is totally indefensible.
To make a terrible situation even worse, the police killed five more persons when mass protests erupted in the wake of this massacre of working people. The immediate response of the state was equally nauseating. They claimed the deaths resulted from a disease. But reports from survivors indicate they were jampacked into a poorly ventilated cell and the NSCDC operatives ignored their cries for help. In fact, as one of the survivors asserted, the cell was sprayed with something that smelled like pepper.
The medical cause of this mass killing might remain under investigation. But the state cannot escape culpability. These were workers—not disposable “illegal miners”. Poverty is not a crime. The real scandal is an economy that drives people into deadly pits while license-holders, corporations and political patrons profit from Nigeria’s mineral wealth.
The federal government has set up a fact-finding panel. This is welcome. But we reject cosmetic suspensions and secret panels. The panel’s investigation must be independent and public. The panel and all public officers involved must be answerable to the families, miners’ organisations, trade unions and human-rights bodies. Every official responsible, irrespective of whom they are, must immediately face prosecution.
WRC demands that governments and security agencies stop raids on poor working people. The corporations, license-holders and political profiteers must be made to pay their fair share of tax to enable wealth redistribution that benefits poor working-class people. Nigeria’s mineral wealth must be placed under democratic public control and used for jobs, safety and development in mining communities.
We call on the labour movement, miners’ associations and communities to mobilise independently until the truth is published, the guilty are prosecuted, every family is compensated and artisanal miners are organised.
Thus, Workers’ Rights Campaign demands the following:
- Full disclosure of what happened: release the names, arrest records, cell capacity, footage, medical findings, and full inquiry report.
- Justice now for the killed miners: conduct independent autopsies and prosecute every officer or commander implicated by the evidence.
- Compensate every family affected: provide reparations, burial support, and long-term livelihood assistance for family members of the killed miners.
- Protect survivors and protesters: guarantee treatment, legal aid and freedom from intimidation; release peaceful protesters.
- Organise the miners: governments must guarantee the operation of unions, and democratic cooperatives in mining communities. Trade unions should organise to lead working people’s fights for legal access, protective equipment and safe working conditions.
Justice for the 37! No cover-up! Organise the miners! Take the mineral wealth out of the hands of profiteers!
Frances AKINJOLE
Chairperson, WRC
Bàbá AYÉ
Secretary, WRC
