Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has recounted what he said a survivor told him about the conditions inside the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) detention facility where 37 suspected illegal miners died in Niger State.
Atiku made the disclosure on Thursday through a statement issued by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, after the former vice president visited Niger State and met with families and survivors of the incident.
According to Atiku, one of the survivors told him that more than 68 detainees had been held in a single small detention facility, creating extremely difficult conditions.
He said the survivor alleged that the situation became so severe that some detainees resorted to drinking one another’s urine to remain hydrated.
“It was a gory tale listening to one of the survivors. He told us that more than 68 of them were crammed into one small detention facility and that conditions became so desperate that they had to drink one another’s urine just to stay hydrated.”
Atiku said no Nigerian should be subjected to such treatment while in government custody.
“No Nigerian should ever be subjected to such indignity in the custody of his own government.”
The deaths occurred on September 17, after the NSCDC arrested dozens of suspected illegal miners during operations around mining sites in Niger State on September 15 and 16. Niger State Governor Umar Bago confirmed that 37 detainees died while in NSCDC custody.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths remain under investigation. The NSCDC initially suggested a possible disease outbreak, while survivors and other reports have raised concerns about overcrowding, poor ventilation and possible suffocation. The definitive cause of death has not been publicly established.
Reuters reported that survivors described nearly 70 people being held in a cell measuring about five square metres and said detainees struggled to breathe before the deaths occurred. The report also said authorities had not established a definitive cause of death.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a full and transparent investigation, saying no citizen should lose their life in government custody because of negligence, abuse or inhumane treatment.
The Federal Government has since inaugurated a 10-member independent investigative committee to establish what happened and determine the immediate and remote causes of the deaths. The committee has two weeks to submit its report.
The Interior Ministry also suspended the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Aniviye, along with 20 other officers connected to the detention and handling of the suspects pending the outcome of the investigation.
Atiku said the survivor’s account reinforced the need for a transparent investigation and accountability for the 37 deaths.
The former vice president also donated ₦20 million to the families of the deceased, according to reports following his visit to Minna.
The survivor’s account about detainees drinking urine is an allegation relayed by Atiku based on his conversation with the survivor and has not been independently established by the ongoing government investigation.
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