At least 37 suspected illegal miners have died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, with conflicting accounts emerging over the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The victims were among people arrested during NSCDC operations against suspected illegal mining activities in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Minna on September 15 and 16.
Niger State Governor Umaru Bago confirmed that 37 people died in NSCDC custody and described the incident as tragic.
The governor said investigations were underway to establish what caused the deaths, including the possibility of suffocation caused by overcrowding and exposure to hazardous substances associated with illegal mining.
“It could be as a result of suffocation because there were so many in a cell. The second issue could be because of exposure to maybe lead poisoning or other very hazardous chemicals that are used to do the illegal mining,” Bago said.
The NSCDC’s Niger State Command had earlier said the detainees were found dead in the early hours of September 17 following what it described as a suspected outbreak of disease.
The state commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, did not identify the disease and said the bodies had been deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for medical examination to establish the actual cause of death.
However, a survivor of the incident gave a different account.
Dauda Shehu, who survived the detention, told the Associated Press that about 65 detainees were packed into a poorly ventilated cell.
He said those inside began struggling for air before some of the detainees collapsed.
“We were jam-packed and there was no ventilation for us to breathe well,” Shehu said.
Shehu also said detainees tried to attract the attention of guards by banging on the cell door as conditions deteriorated.
The competing accounts have prompted authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The NSCDC national headquarters has constituted a high-powered investigative team led by the Deputy Commandant-General in charge of Intelligence and Investigation.
According to the Corps, the investigation will examine the condition of the suspects when they were arrested, how long they remained in custody, the conditions of the detention facility, medical attention provided to them and other circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The Federal Government has also suspended Aniviye, the Niger State NSCDC commandant, pending a full investigation into the incident.
Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo described the incident as unfortunate and said the government would investigate what happened.
“It is an unfortunate incident; however, a full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended,” the minister said.
There are also reports that teenagers and other minors were among those arrested, although available reports do not establish that all 37 deceased persons were children. Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation into the deaths, specifically noting reports that minors were among the victims.
The incident has also raised questions about the circumstances of the arrests themselves. Premium Times reported that some relatives disputed the claim that everyone detained was involved in illegal mining, with one woman alleging that her sister had been arrested while working on a farm.
The Niger State Government has established a committee of inquiry and ordered forensic examinations and autopsies to determine the cause of death.
Governor Bago also declared three days of mourning for the victims and appealed for calm following protests and heightened tensions in Minna.
The immediate cause of the deaths therefore remains unestablished. The NSCDC’s initial reference to a suspected disease outbreak has not been confirmed by medical or laboratory findings, while survivor accounts and preliminary reports have raised the possibility of overcrowding and inadequate ventilation.
Authorities are expected to establish through the ongoing investigations and autopsies what caused the deaths, whether detention conditions contributed and whether any officials or other parties should be held responsible.
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