Families reject ₦100,000 “blood money” over 37 miners’ deaths in NSCDC custody

Families of some of the 37 suspected illegal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State have rejected ₦100,000 tokens offered by the state government, describing the gesture as an attempt to silence them rather than deliver justice, Sahara Reporters reports.

The detainees died after being arrested during anti-illegal mining operations on September 15 and 16 around the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas, with the NSCDC initially attributing the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, though survivors and relatives have alleged overcrowding and poor detention conditions.

“Yes, they are giving us money to silence us… They have given us money to silence us,” one relative said, adding that families had advised their children to reject the payment, insisting “they cannot benefit from the blood of their relatives.”

Another grieving mother said the money appeared to “place a value on their lives,” stressing that families instead wanted accountability for whoever was responsible.

She further lamented that some households now had orphaned children with no means of survival after the crackdown halted their mining livelihood.

Despite their anger, the families urged younger relatives against retaliation, with one advising that any money eventually accepted be spent only on communal needs like water containers for mosques and support for orphans.

President Bola Tinubu has since ordered a comprehensive investigation, with the Ministry of Interior constituting a 10-member independent committee, while 24 NSCDC personnel have been suspended pending the outcome.

As autopsies continue to determine the exact cause of death, the families’ rejection of compensation signals that anger over the tragedy is far from settling — with justice, not money, now the central demand.