Nigeria, Sept. 19 -- The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) have called for a transparent investigation into the deaths of at least 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.

They made the call in separate statements shared with PREMIUM TIMES between Friday and Saturday.

They condemned the deaths and commiserated with the families of the deceased and the Niger State community.

The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), "called for an independent forensic autopsy and preservation of all evidence," and said that "the investigation ordered by the Interior ...