By Joyce Ekeh
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has demanded a full and transparent investigation into the deaths of 37 persons reportedly in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Niger State, insisting that anyone found responsible must face prosecution.
The NLC also called for urgent measures to address poverty, unemployment and child labour, which it identified as some of the socioeconomic factors driving vulnerable Nigerians into artisanal mining.
The Congress made the demands in a statement by its President, Joe Ajaero, while mourning the victims of the incident, 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 Niger State on September 15 and 16.
The NLC said reports indicated that many of those who died were young people, including minors.
The labour centre said the circumstances surrounding the deaths remained under investigation, while noting that the Federal Government had constituted an independent committee to establish the identities of the deceased, the circumstances of their arrest and detention, and the causes of their deaths.
“The Congress 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 NLC said.
The labour body welcomed the reported suspension of officers connected with the incident but stressed that administrative action should not replace accountability.
It said, “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.”
The NLC called for the findings of the investigation to be made public, including details of the victims’ arrest, detention, treatment and the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
It also demanded penalties, in accordance with due process and the law, for anyone found responsible for unlawful treatment, abuse, negligence or other conduct that contributed to the deaths.
Beyond the immediate investigation, the Congress urged the government to address what it described as the underlying socioeconomic conditions driving illegal mining and child labour.
“More fundamentally, the Congress insists that the root causes of illegal mining, particularly the involvement of children, must be addressed squarely,” it said.
According to the labour body, poverty, unemployment, deprivation and limited access to decent livelihood opportunities were among the factors pushing poor rural households into artisanal mining and other vulnerable forms of informal employment.
“These were children and young people from working-class and peasant families, particularly families whose livelihoods depend on the informal economy,” the NLC said.
It argued that inadequate household incomes could force families to seek alternative sources of livelihood to meet basic needs such as food, education and healthcare.
The Congress called for stronger regulation of artisanal and small-scale mining, including enforcement of occupational safety and health standards, fundamental principles and rights at work, and the prohibition of hazardous child labour.
It also urged government to involve trade unions, employers’ organisations, community representatives and relevant civil society groups in developing policies for the artisanal mining sector.
The NLC further demanded a comprehensive programme to remove children from hazardous mining activities and provide affected families with access to education, skills development, social protection and alternative livelihood opportunities.
It called for a coordinated national strategy to tackle rural poverty, youth unemployment, lack of decent work and inadequate social protection for workers in the informal economy.
The Congress said the incident should also prompt broader attention to inequality, unemployment, underemployment, precarious work and the growth of vulnerable informal employment.
“We cannot continue to address the symptoms of these problems while ignoring their underlying causes,” the NLC said.
