Minna custodial deaths brought on by infrastructural deficit, not Audi’s management – Arewa youths

The Coalition of Arewa Youth Consultative Movement (CAYCM) has exonerated the Commander General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi, over the tragic loss of life of 37 individuals in NSCDC custody in Minna, Niger State, describing requires a complete overhaul of the Corps as mischievous and focused on the Commander General.

The coalition acknowledged this in a press assertion issued in Abuja on Wednesday, collectively signed by its National Coordinator, Dr. Bilal Galadima and Deputy Secretary General, Barr. Zainab Gambo,

The group, which is the umbrella physique of 76 youths teams throughout the 19 northern states and the FCT, stated it monitored all sittings and studied the ultimate report of the Independent Investigation Committee chaired by Mr. Jonathan Kure, former Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), which was offered to the Minister of Interior on October 27, 2026.

According to the report, 37 individuals died on September 17, 2026, from environmental asphyxia brought on by extreme overcrowding, poor air flow, warmth stress and dehydration after being confined in a detention cell measuring barely 20 sq. metres however holding over 50 individuals within the Niger State Command.

The coalition famous that the report was unambiguous that the operation that led to the arrest of the miners in M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto was carried out by the Niger State Commandant with none operational order, data or approval from the NSCDC National Headquarters.

“The Committee’s findings never indicted the Commander General. Prof. Audi is a workaholic and reform-driven leader who has transformed the NSCDC into a world-class security outfit. It will be unjust to use a state-level operational failure to call for his removal,” the assertion stated.

The group condemned assertion credited to a member of the committee calling for the entire overhaul of the NSCDC construction over the incident.

“Our attention has been drawn to an imported statement by a member of the committee suggesting that the entire NSCDC structure be overhauled. We wish to state categorically that such a statement is mischievous, reckless, diversionary and targeted only at smearing the hard-earned reputation of the Commander General, even though the acknowledged lapses were clearly at the state level,” the coalition stated.

“How can a localized, unauthorised operation by a State Command that lacked approval from the National Headquarters be used as justification to call for overhauling the entire national structure? This is not reform; it is a hatchet job for selfish interests. What the Corps needs is not destructive overhaul, but constructive funding,” it added.

The coalition demanded full implementation of the committee’s suggestions, together with sanction, dismissal and prosecution of all officers discovered culpable.

In its core demand, the group known as on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to approve a particular intervention fund and big budgetary enhance for the NSCDC, noting that the post-mortem and committee report each revealed that the miners died as a result of poor air flow and inefficient detention amenities.

“This is a clear sign of infrastructural deficit, not leadership failure at the national level. A well-funded NSCDC is a safer Nigeria,” the group burdened.

The Arewa youths additionally issued a stern warning to these making an attempt to politicize the tragedy.

“We have observed clandestine moves by some personalities to use this tragedy to achieve their selfish goal of getting the Commander General indicted. We shall not hesitate to expose, unmask and publicly call out any personality or group that attempts to politicize this tragedy for selfish ends,” the assertion warned.

The group commiserated with households of the deceased, supported the N1.4 billion compensation really helpful for victims and their households, and handed a convincing vote of confidence on Prof. Audi, urging President Tinubu to maintain his reform agenda for the Corps.