The Federal Government has been called upon to ensure that detention and holding centres managed by security and law enforcement agencies undergo routine inspections and independent monitoring to strengthen accountability and safeguard the rights of detainees.
The Youth Arise Movement made the appeal in a statement issued on Sunday by its Convener, Ademola Babatunde, following the deaths of suspected illegal miners arrested during enforcement operations in Niger State.
Babatunde said the circumstances surrounding the deaths of people in custody must be properly explained, irrespective of the reasons for their arrest.
He urged the Federal Government to introduce regular inspections, independent oversight and effective accountability measures across all detention and holding facilities operated by security and law enforcement agencies.
“YAM wishes to make our position unequivocally clear: Being arrested is not a death sentence. A suspect is still a human being and is entitled to humane treatment, due process and the protection of his or her fundamental rights while in custody. No Nigerian should die mysteriously while under the care and control of the state.” We therefore call on the Federal Government to ensure that all detention and holding facilities operated by security and law enforcement agencies are subjected to regular inspections, independent oversight and proper accountability mechanisms, ” the statement partly read.
Babatunde further urged authorities to promptly notify families when someone dies in custody and to sanction any person or institution found culpable of misconduct.
He said the incident should lead to wider national discussions around custodial accountability, human rights, illegal mining and the need to protect human life.
“The Nigerian state has a duty to protect its citizens not only when they are free, but also when they are detained,” he said.
The group also asked the Federal Government to undertake a nationwide assessment of mining operations to establish the number of active mining sites, verify their licensing status and determine the level of environmental damage linked to illegal mining.
Babatunde called for the identification of individuals and organisations suspected of funding or facilitating illegal mining, as well as an evaluation of existing regulatory and enforcement systems.
He said the proposed exercise should determine “the number and locations of active mining sites across the country” and establish which operations have valid licences and which are being conducted illegally.
The statement added that the audit should examine “the extent of environmental degradation caused by illegal mining” and calculate the economic losses incurred by the Federal, State and Local Governments.
