Survivors of the Niger State NSCDC detention tragedy have alleged that suspected illegal miners struggled for air, screamed for help and drank their own urine before at least 37 detainees died in custody. This shocking account highlights the severity of the NSCDC miners deaths incident.
According to The PUNCH, about 65 suspected illegal miners were allegedly crammed into a cell at the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps office in Minna after their arrests on September 15 and 16. The detainees reportedly remained there for three days.
One survivor, Dauda Shehu, said conditions inside the cell deteriorated until detainees began struggling to breathe.
“All of a sudden, we realised that we could not breathe and we were all struggling for where to get fresh air,” Shehu said.
He alleged that detainees repeatedly banged on the cell door and appealed to officers for help as some began suffocating.
“Even when we raised the alarm that some people were being suffocated, nobody answered us. They were watching us gasp for breath and screaming for help but they ignored us,” he alleged.
Survivors allege dehydration, overcrowding
Another survivor said conditions became so severe that some detainees resorted to drinking their own urine.
“We resorted to drinking our urine inside the cell because of the suffering we were going through. The messy situation of the cell made our brothers die,” he said.
Another detainee said those who survived may have been fortunate to be positioned closer to the entrance, where there was greater access to air.
He said many of the miners had been displaced from Allawa in Shiroro Local Government Area by bandit attacks and had turned to mining to earn a living.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths remain disputed.
While the NSCDC initially linked the incident to a suspected disease outbreak, survivors blamed overcrowding, suffocation and dehydration.
Another survivor also alleged that officers sprayed a substance resembling perfume inside the cell shortly before detainees began collapsing.
Governor raises poisoning possibility
Niger State Governor Umaru Bago said preliminary forensic findings showed that some victims had foam mixed with blood around their mouths and peeling skin.
He said investigators were considering possible exposure to substances including methane, cyanide or lead but stressed that no conclusion had been reached.
Bago subsequently imposed a 24-hour curfew on Minna after protests over the deaths descended into violence.
Mining activities across the state were also suspended pending tests to determine whether hazardous substances linked to illegal mining could have contributed to the deaths.
NSCDC commandant, 21 officers detained
The suspended Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Aniviye, and 21 other officers have meanwhile been detained in Abuja as investigations continue.
NSCDC spokesperson Afolabi Babawale confirmed that the affected personnel were in custody and undergoing interrogation.
Those summoned include officers responsible for legal, intelligence and mining operations, as well as the officer in charge of the cell.
President Bola Tinubu has also ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident, saying suspicion of illegal mining did not deprive the detainees of their rights to life, dignity and humane treatment.
“Government will not tolerate mass deaths arising from official negligence, dereliction of duty or failure by public officials to protect the lives placed under their care,” Tinubu said.
The Nigeria Police Force and the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development have also announced separate investigations as families of the deceased demand answers and accountability.
