By BONIFACE AKARAH

The Movement for a Socialist Alternative (MSA) has called for the arrest and prosecution of what it described as the “bigwigs” profiting from illegal mining in Nigeria, following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.

The group made the demand in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Aj. Dagga Tolar, while reacting to the deaths of the detainees and the Federal Government’s decision to suspend NSCDC officers and establish an independent panel to investigate the incident. The Federal Government has said the panel will investigate the arrests, detention and cause and circumstances of the deaths.

The MSA said the government’s response had focused too heavily on the NSCDC personnel involved, arguing that the wider circumstances surrounding illegal mining and the people who profit from the sector should also be investigated.

“We in the Movement for a Socialist Alternative (MSA) are, however, not sucked in by this public display of empathy by the government; it is sheer play to the gallery, when in reality it is the government, both past and present, that should be held accountable for this largely preventable and unwarranted tragedy,” the group said.

The organisation argued that Nigeria’s mineral resources should be brought under public ownership and management rather than allowing what it described as powerful individuals to profit from illegal mining.

It said: “Why is it that the necessary legislation has not been put in place to bring these assets under state control, so that the whole country can benefit from this wealth and resources? Why reserve them for a few Bigwigs to keep lining their pockets?”

The MSA questioned the identities and influence of those employing young people in illegal mining operations, asking why workers were being arrested while the alleged financiers and beneficiaries of the activities were not being pursued.

“Who are these bigwigs who employ this youth who is desperately in need of means of survival, condemning themselves to work in the appalling and unwholesome working conditions in the mines? Are they untouchable? Why arrest the workers, and not the bigwigs?” the group asked.

The group’s statement comes amid an ongoing investigation into the deaths. Authorities initially said the detainees died following a suspected disease outbreak, while survivors and other reports have raised questions about overcrowding and possible suffocation. The exact cause of death remains subject to investigation.

The Federal Government has suspended officers connected to the incident and constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate what happened.

The MSA, however, said the NSCDC officers should not bear sole responsibility for what it described as systemic failures in Nigeria’s detention facilities.

“Again, we reject any attempt to make NSCDC officers pay for a tragedy that the government should directly be held responsible for, which is for not providing the needed funding, training and facilities that will enable them to humanely carry out their duties,” it said.

The group also criticised the condition of detention facilities in Nigeria, alleging that suspects who have not been convicted are routinely held in overcrowded and unsuitable conditions.

It questioned what reforms had been implemented since the #EndSARS protests, saying: “Can the government claim ignorance of the fact that arresting officers do not treat arrested individuals as humans; a process of dehumanisation commences immediately after any arrest. The same thing occurs in nearly all detention centres in the country.”

The MSA further argued that the country’s mineral wealth could provide economic opportunities if properly managed, while insisting that mining sites should be brought under public ownership and democratic control.

It said nationalisation should include adequate facilities, welfare provisions, appropriate working standards and wages for miners.

“Anything short of nationalisation and bring the mines under public management and democratic control means that we should just expect and wait for the next tragedy to occur,” the organisation said.

The group also called for an end to illegal mining, the arrest and prosecution of individuals who profit from illegal mining and the prosecution of government officials whose alleged negligence or dereliction of duty contributed to the tragedy.

It demanded compensation for the 37 people who died and called for the release of people it described as being illegally detained in government facilities without being charged before a court.

The MSA also called for union rights for security personnel, including members of the police and military, alongside improved wages and working conditions.

The organisation said: “We also call for adequate compensation for all of the 37 who died and all those who were arrested, and freedom also for those illegally detained in all government facilities, without being charged in court.”

The group concluded by demanding broader changes to Nigeria’s mining and security systems, insisting that the deaths should trigger scrutiny not only of the NSCDC personnel involved but also of the wider system surrounding illegal mining and the management of the country’s mineral resources.