AYAGL calls for transparent investigation, accountability and restraint following deaths of 37 persons
MINNA — The Arewa Youth Assembly for Good Leadership (AYAGL) has condoled with the Etsu Nupe and the people of Niger State over the deaths of 37 persons reportedly held in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna.
The President of AYAGL, Alhaji Danbature Abdul, made the call during a condolence and solidarity visit to His Royal Highness, the Etsu Nupe, following the reported deaths.
Abdul commiserated with the families of the deceased, the Niger State Government, the traditional institution and residents of the state over the incident.
He said the Assembly recognised the grief, anger and concerns generated by the deaths and called for every legitimate question surrounding the incident to be properly investigated and addressed.
The AYAGL president commended the Federal Government and the leadership of the NSCDC for steps reportedly taken following the incident, including the suspension of officers connected with the matter and the establishment of an independent investigative committee.
He urged the committee to carry out its responsibilities transparently and without interference, saying appropriate accountability and remedial measures should follow from its findings.
Abdul also commended youths and residents of Niger State for exercising restraint amid the grief and anger generated by the incident.
He urged citizens not to take the law into their own hands, stressing the importance of allowing the relevant authorities to complete the investigation and establish the facts surrounding the deaths.
The AYAGL president further appealed to young people across Niger State and the wider northern region to reject drug abuse, criminal associations and attempts by non-state actors to recruit or lure youths into crime, banditry and other criminal activities.
He called on the Federal Government to strengthen intelligence gathering, inter-agency cooperation and community-based security measures, particularly in vulnerable communities across Northern Nigeria.
According to Abdul, the region continues to face security challenges including banditry, kidnapping and criminal activities associated with illegal mining, requiring sustained cooperation between security agencies, communities and other stakeholders.
The youth leader also appealed to citizens and youth organisations to exercise restraint and allow the ongoing investigation to determine what happened and identify those responsible, if wrongdoing is established.
He said calls for demonstrations should be carefully considered against the need to prevent further loss of lives, destruction of property and the possible exploitation of genuine grievances by criminal elements.
Abdul maintained that justice, accountability and security should go together, adding that the lives lost should strengthen efforts by government and society to prevent a recurrence.
“We stand with the Etsu Nupe, the Niger State Government, the families of the deceased and the good people of Niger State in this period of grief,” he said.
IBN News reports that the Arewa Youth Assembly for Good Leadership has called for a transparent investigation into the reported deaths of 37 persons in NSCDC custody in Minna while urging residents and youths to remain peaceful and allow the investigation to establish the facts.
