Women in Mining Nigeria (WIMIN), has condemned the deaths of 37 artisanal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, demanding an independent investigation, prosecution of anyone found culpable and urgent reforms of detention facilities nationwide.

The miners were reportedly arrested during enforcement operations on September 15 and 16 in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state.

In a statement, Founder and National President of WIMIN, Engr. Janet Adeyemi, said the deaths underscored the need for government to move away from what she described as aggressive militarisation towards a human-centred approach to artisanal mining.

WIMIN expressed condolences to the families of the deceased, particularly women who lost sons, brothers and breadwinners, noting that reports that some of the victims were teenagers aged between 14 and 18 had made the incident more devastating.

The organisation faulted the reported conditions under which the detainees were held, saying accounts from survivors and intelligence reports pointed to overcrowding, extreme heat, dehydration and suffocation in a poorly ventilated facility.

According to WIMIN, as many as 65 people were reportedly confined in a single cell, while survivors allegedly recounted banging on the doors and calling for assistance as fellow detainees collapsed.

The organisation also rejected any approach that treats artisanal mining solely as a security problem, arguing that poverty and lack of alternative livelihoods are major drivers of informal mining in communities across Niger State.

Adeyemi said: “We cannot continue to use iron fists and lethal containment strategies against young citizens who are driven into mining pits by the sheer desperation for survival. Mining, for these teenagers and young men, is an escape from hunger and extreme hardship. It is a profound injustice to criminalise poverty.

“When the state treats the desperate quest for a livelihood as a capital offense, resulting in the suffocation and death of dozens in custody, we have failed fundamentally as a nation. The government must shift its focus from aggressive militarisation to
human-centric formalisation.”

WIMIN said it aligned with the positions of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) that every person, regardless of the allegations against them, is entitled to due process and the fundamental right to life.

WIMIN also condemned the reported use of force and tear gas against families and community members who protested in Minna following the deaths, calling for restraint and respect for the rights of bereaved families seeking answers.

The organisation said the tragedy should also be examined against the socio-economic conditions confronting residents of Niger State.

According to the organisation, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that Niger State has a multidimensional poverty rate of 69.1 per cent, meaning that nearly seven in every 10 residents experience multiple forms of deprivation, including inadequate access to healthcare, education and decent living conditions.

Adeyemi added, “72.8% Extreme Poverty Level: World Bank data indicates that 72.8% of the state’s population lives below the baseline extreme poverty line ($2.15/day), rising sharply to 92.9% living under $3.65 a day.

“The Pull of Wealth Beneath the Soil: Niger State sits on vastly rich deposits
of gold, lithium, and tantalite. These high-value minerals create an inevitable
beacon of economic hope for a desperate population.

“With thousands of families suffering from severe food insecurity and basic infrastructure deficits, the extraction of these minerals by hand is not a choice of leisure, it is a mandatory lifeline for day-to-day survival.”

On artisanal mining, WIMIN called on the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development to accelerate the formalisation, organisation and cooperative integration of artisanal miners.

It said miners should be provided with legal frameworks, training and safer equipment to protect lives, improve regulatory oversight and safeguard the country’s mineral resources.

WIMIN also urged the ministry to ensure that enforcement personnel deployed to mining communities are properly trained to handle arrests and other operations without compromising human rights.

The organisation further called for stricter enforcement of child-labour protections in the mining sector and the provision of educational and livelihood alternatives for teenagers who may otherwise be pushed into hazardous mining activities.

It also urged the government to provide adequate support and compensation to families who lost loved ones in the incident.

WIMIN said the deaths should serve as a wake-up call for a broader review of how Nigeria regulates artisanal mining, insisting that enforcement must be balanced with human rights, economic realities and the need to protect vulnerable communities.