A notable human right lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has called on the Attorneys-General of Niger and Ondo states to prosecute those allegedly responsible for the deaths of scores of Nigerians in two separate incidents.
Falana, in a statement on Sunday, asked the Niger State Attorney-General, Nasiru Mu’azu, to ensure a speedy investigation into the deaths of 37 suspects who were detained by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, over alleged illegal mining.
The suspects were reportedly found dead at a detention facility in Niger State, two days after their arrest.
The NSCDC had said more than 50 people were arrested and are undergoing profiling and documentation.
Falana attributed the deaths to overcrowding and poor ventilation, and called for the prosecution of any persons found culpable.
He also called on authorities to ensure that detention facilities comply with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, popularly known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.
The senior lawyer drew a parallel with the 1980 incident in Lagos, when 50 suspects reportedly suffocated inside a police transport van at the premises of the Tinubu Magistrate Court.
In a separate case, Falana urged the Ondo State Attorney-General, Olukayode Ajulo, (SAN), to prosecute those linked to the deaths arising from a mass illness outbreak allegedly associated with locally prepared alcoholic and herbal concoctions.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, had confirmed 48 deaths out of 182 reported cases.
The agency also reported that five people had been rendered totally blind, while two others suffered partial blindness.
NAFDAC said the affected communities include New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu and Oniparaga, with the highest number of cases recorded in Odigbo and Araromi-Obu.
The agency also disclosed that 15 people had been arrested over the production, sale and distribution of the suspected poisonous beverages.
Falana is now asking the Ondo State Ministry of Justice to take over the case and prosecute anyone found responsible.
He says criminal accountability must accompany investigations into both incidents, while authorities must also take steps to prevent similar deaths in detention facilities and communities.