Survivors of a deadly incident in Niger State have recounted how they struggled to breathe in an overcrowded cell before 37 suspected illegal miners died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The deaths occurred on Thursday after the men were arrested during enforcement operations against illegal mining in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state.
The incident triggered protests in Minna, the Niger State capital, on Friday. Security forces fired live ammunition as protesters clashed with authorities, according to Reuters.
The Nigerian Government has suspended the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, and ordered a full investigation into the deaths.
Survivors describe overcrowded cell
One survivor, Dauda Shehu, told journalists at a hospital that the detainees were packed into a cell with little ventilation.
“We were jam-packed in the cell, no ventilation for us to breathe well,” he said.
“All of a sudden we realised that we could not breathe and we were all scampering for where to get fresh air. We even appealed to them several times, banged the cell door but they refused to answer us.”
Shehu said the detainees repeatedly warned that people were dying but received no response.
Another survivor, who asked not to be named, said he survived because he was close to the cell entrance, where he could breathe more easily.
“We were screaming for help,” he said, adding that they told the guards that “people are dying one after the other”.
The testimony has raised questions about the conditions under which the detainees were held.
An intelligence report cited by AFP suggested that overcrowding and poor ventilation may have caused the deaths. However, the NSCDC has said the cause has not been established and that medical and laboratory examinations are required.
Probe into deaths
Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has confirmed the deaths and said investigators were considering several possible causes, including suffocation from overcrowding and exposure to hazardous substances associated with mining.
He said forensic, medical and autopsy examinations were being conducted to determine the scientific cause of death.
The NSCDC has also launched an investigation into the incident.
The Corps said the inquiry would examine the condition of the suspects when they were arrested, their time in custody, detention conditions and the medical attention provided to them.
Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has ordered a “full-scale, transparent and unhindered investigation” into the deaths.
The NSCDC has directed Aniviye and other senior officers involved in the operation to step aside and appear before the investigative panel.
Protest and curfew
Anger over the deaths spilled onto the streets of Minna on Friday.
Channels Television reported protests in parts of the city, including Tunga, Maitumbi and Bosso Road, with some protesters allegedly damaging government property. Security personnel were deployed across the state capital.
Governor Bago subsequently imposed a 24-hour curfew across Minna, effective after Friday prayers, as authorities sought to contain the unrest.
The Niger State Government has also declared three days of mourning and cancelled a planned All Progressives Congress rally in the state.
The Federal Government has urged residents to remain calm and allow investigators to establish what happened.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris said no one found responsible would be shielded, while cautioning against prejudging the outcome of the investigation.
The deaths occurred in a state rich in mineral resources, where thousands of artisanal miners operate, often under unsafe conditions.
Authorities and experts have also linked illegal mining in parts of Niger State to the activities of armed criminal groups that tax miners and demand payments from those operating in mining areas.