MINNA IN MOURNING: GRIEF HAS NO TRIBE, AND JUSTICE MUST HAVE NO DELAY
By Prince Adekunle Waheed Alhassan, BANGON MINNA
I’m writing this with a heavy heart, as a son of this city by Birth, to mourn the dozens of young people, including minors, who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna. They were arrested on the 15th and 16th of September during operations around the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas. By the early hours of the 17th, they were dead. Human beings who went into custody alive did not come out alive, and that fact alone troubles my conscience as it should trouble every conscience in this country.
I extend my deepest condolences to the families of every deceased, whether minor or adult, and whatever their tribe, faith or village. A mother’s tears are the same in Nupe, Hausa, Yoruba, Gbagyi, Igbo or Fulani, and so is a father’s silence. I know that no statement can return a child to his mother’s arms, but I want every grieving family to know that they do not mourn alone. The whole of Minna sits with them. I pray that the Almighty forgives the departed, grants them a peaceful rest and gives the bereaved the strength to endure. To the survivors, I pray for full physical and emotional recovery.
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I stand firmly with His Excellency, Framer Governor Dr. Umar Bago and the Niger State Government in this hour of collective pain. The declaration of three days of mourning and the open acknowledgement of the tragedy show a leadership that is listening. The suspension of the state commandant and the start of investigations are necessary first steps. Governments are tested not when the road is smooth but when the wound is deep, and I offer the Governor my prayers, my cooperation and my solidarity as the state navigates this crisis.
Minna has always been a home where many people live side by side, trade together, worship near one another and bury their dead in the same soil. I refuse to believe that this tragedy will tear apart what generations built. I appeal to every resident to observe the curfew, obey lawful directives and avoid every act of reprisal, looting or destruction. The market woman, the okada rider and the shop owner did not cause this pain, and they must not pay for it. Anyone who uses this moment to stir ethnic or religious suspicion is an enemy of Minna. Peaceful and orderly expression of grief is a right, but violence only multiplies the number of mothers who weep.
Mourning can not replace truth and clarity is the first form of justice the bereaved are owed. I call for the cause of these deaths to be established through autopsy and laboratory findings that are released promptly, explained in plain language and verified by independent medical professionals. Survivors must be free to tell their stories without fear of intimidation. The inquiry must trace every step, from the moment of arrest to the discovery of the bodies, and must explain how minors came to be held at all. Respected community and religious leaders should be given an observer role so that the public can trust the process, and the outcome must be published, with consequences for anyone found responsible, regardless of rank or office.
I am not against the enforcement of the law. Illegal mining harms our land, our environment and, as this tragedy shows, our children. But the law that punishes must itself be lawful. A suspect is innocent until a court says otherwise, and no arrest, however justified, gives anyone the licence to endanger a life. Firmness without humanity becomes cruelty, and cruelty never builds security. I urge all security agencies to reflect deeply, review their operating practices and remember that the badge exists to protect the citizen.
Looking ahead, I believe community organisations can be real partners in prevention if they are properly engaged. I am ready to work with traditional rulers and elders to sensitise young people on the dangers of unsafe mining and the value of school and skills, to support lawful information-sharing that reduces confrontation, to visit and assist bereaved families, and to promote dialogue wherever tension remains. I also respectfully appeal to the state government to support the bereaved with burial assistance and welfare, to return out-of-school children to the classroom and to create safe, legitimate livelihoods for our young people.
In this season of grief, let Minna show the world the best of who we are. Let us console one another, restrain our anger, demand the truth and rebuild the trust between citizens and those sworn to protect them. May God comfort every grieving home, heal our wounded city and keep Niger State in peace. Amen.
Prince Adekunle Waheed Alhassan,
BANGON MINNA
Minna, Niger State
DemocracyNewslineNewspaper, September 19, 2027
