BY Victor Ahiuma-Young The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has demanded a full, transparent and independent investigation into the deaths of 37 persons who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Niger State. The Congress, in a statement by its President, Joe Ajaero, mourned the victims and commiserated with the government and people of Niger State over the tragedy, which occurred on Thursday, September 17, 2026. The victims were reportedly arrested during operations against suspected illegal mining activities in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state on September 15 and 16. The NLC said reports indicated that many of those who died were young people, including minors. The NLC said, “The Congress is deeply saddened and profoundly concerned by the manner in which these precious lives were lost. The circumstances surrounding their deaths remain under investigation. “The Federal Government has constituted an independent committee to establish the identities of the deceased, the circumstances of their arrest and detention, and the cause of their deaths. “The NLC calls for a thorough, transparent and independent investigation into this tragedy and demands that anyone found culpable be made to face the full weight of the law. “The Congress welcomes the steps already taken by the Federal Government, including the suspension of officers connected with the incident, but stresses that suspension must not substitute for accountability and justice. “More fundamentally, the Congress insists that the root causes of illegal mining, particularly the involvement of children, must be addressed squarely. “Poverty, unemployment, deprivation and the absence of decent livelihood opportunities remain major drivers pushing citizens, particularly poor rural households, into artisanal mining and other vulnerable segments of the informal economy. “These were children and young people from working-class and peasant families, particularly families whose livelihoods depend on the informal economy. “When the earnings of working people cannot provide adequately for food, education, healthcare and other basic necessities, families are compelled to seek survival wherever opportunities exist. “This is the deeper socioeconomic reality that must inform the national response to illegal mining and child labour.” The labour body called for a transparent and comprehensive investigation into the deaths, including the circumstances of the victims’ arrest, detention, treatment and deaths, with the findings made public. It also demanded severe penalties, in accordance with due process and the law, for anyone found responsible for unlawful treatment, abuse, negligence or any other conduct that contributed to the deaths. The NLC further called for stronger regulation of artisanal and small-scale mining, including enforcement of fundamental principles and rights at work, occupational safety and health standards, and the prohibition of hazardous child labour. It urged government to involve trade unions, employers’ organisations, community representatives and relevant civil society organisations in developing and implementing policies for the artisanal mining sector. The Congress also demanded a comprehensive programme for the removal of children from hazardous mining activities, alongside access to quality education, skills development, social protection and alternative livelihood opportunities for affected families. It called for a coordinated national strategy to address the socioeconomic drivers of illegal mining, particularly rural poverty, youth unemployment, lack of decent work and the exclusion of informal workers from adequate social protection. The NLC urged government to view the tragedy within the broader challenges confronting the Nigerian labour market, including inequality, poverty wages, unemployment, underemployment, precarious work and the expansion of vulnerable informal employment. “We cannot continue to address the symptoms of these problems while ignoring their underlying causes,” the Congress said. This version keeps the NLC’s key statements and places the quoted material after the first three paragraphs, while reducing the original resolution to a moderate newspaper length
