of rights violations, including unlawful arrest and detention, denial of justice and torture.

 It raises serious questions about detention standards, operational planning, accountability and respect for due process,  Kehinde Giwa, a security analyst at Lagos-based SBM Intelligence, said about the deaths of the suspects.

 Even when arrests are lawful, suspects must be kept in safe conditions and given timely medical attention. 

Parent says his child was maltreated in custody

Saba Usman alleged that his son Usman Whalid, who was a student and did menial work to survive, was mistreated while in custody before he died.

 When I saw him, he was really in a bad shape because he was beaten and was (stepped) on with boots, so I knew they really mistreated him while he was in their custody,  he said.

 I even have his videos and pictures on my phone of how he was being stepped on, and how his mouth was also stepped on and his teeth broken,  he added.

Usman said his son and others who were arrested did not commit a crime but  were framed,  adding that  I have nothing else to say but to give God thanks because he knows why this really happened. 

A survivor recounts his ordeal in detention

Mubarak Dahiru, a survivor who appeared traumatized by his ordeal, said while in detention they were sweating profusely and pleaded with NSCDC officials for water and food, but their requests were ignored.

 They beat us as if we were thieves. They also used their guns and hit us with them,  Dahiru said.

Nigerian Bar Association president Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya said the death of 37 people while in the custody of a government agency is an  event of the utmost gravity and demands a thorough, independent, transparent and credible investigation. 

Illegal mining remains a challenge in Nigeria. Analysts have linked illegal mining activities in Nigeria's north-central and northwest regions to armed gangs involved in kidnappings for ransom, claiming the groups receive funding from the illicit trade.