Nigeria, Oct. 28 -- Thirty-seven boys and young men died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, last month. Accused of being 'illegal miners', they were arrested during raids by the Mining Marshals - a special NSCDC unit targeting illegal mining.

Yesterday, an investigative panel found they died of asphyxiation in 'inhumane conditions', calling the deaths preventable. Recommendations to compensate families, dismiss and prosecute the officers involved, and implement institutional reforms (among others) are significant, as they address the gravity of abuses and the need for holistic responses.

Such incidents are not unique to Nigeria, and offer a critical lens for examining recent hum...