Niger: NSCDC probes deaths of suspected illegal miners

From John Adams, Minna

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has constituted a high-powered investigative team to unravel the circumstances surrounding the deaths of suspected illegal miners in its custody in Niger State, amid allegations by survivors that the victims died from suffocation in an overcrowded cell.

Commandant General of the NSCDC, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, ordered the investigation following the deaths of some of the suspects arrested during enforcement operations in parts of Niger State on September 15 and 16.

The Corps said the team, headed by the Deputy Commandant General in charge of Intelligence and Investigation, would investigate the condition of the suspects at the time of arrest, their period in custody, detention conditions, medical attention provided and other circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The development came as survivors disputed suggestions that disease may have been responsible for the deaths, alleging that 65 detainees were crammed into a poorly ventilated cell where some began collapsing after struggling for air.

One of the survivors, Dauda Shehu, who is receiving treatment at a government medical facility, alleged that repeated cries for help were ignored as the situation deteriorated.

“We were jam-packed in a small cell with no ventilation for us to breathe well. We could not even stretch our legs,” Shehu, an indigene of Allawa in Shiroro Local Government Area, said.

“All of a sudden, we realised that we could not breathe and we were all scampering for where to get fresh air. We appealed to them several times and banged on the cell door, but they refused to answer us.

“Even when we raised the alarm that some people were already dying because of suffocation, nobody answered us.

“They were watching us gasping for air and screaming for help, but they ignored us.”

Shehu also raised questions about the whereabouts of the other detainees, insisting that 65 miners had been arrested and held together.

“Out of the 65 of us that were in the cell, they brought only six of us to the general hospital. Where are the remaining people? We were 65 people that they arrested,” he said.

Another survivor, who declined to be named, corroborated the allegation of overcrowding, saying those who survived were fortunate to have been close to the cell entrance.

“We survived because we were close to the entrance and we were screaming for help. Some people died last night and more died this morning. Even when we were telling them that people were dying, they did not believe us,” he alleged.

The survivors’ claims have not been independently verified.

In its statement, however, the NSCDC did not attribute the deaths to any particular illness, stressing that reports linking them to a specific disease remained subject to medical and laboratory confirmation.

“The Corps will therefore refrain from speculation until the outcome of the medical examination is established,” National Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, said.

According to the Corps, the deceased were among suspected illegal miners arrested during a coordinated operation by its Niger State Command in the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis as part of efforts to combat illegal mining and protect the country’s natural resources.

It said the remains had been deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for medical examination to determine the actual cause of death.

The NSCDC said it was also working with health authorities and sister security agencies to ensure appropriate medical and public-health measures were taken.

Audi also directed that the health and welfare of all persons still in custody be given priority, while measures should be taken to protect personnel who might have had contact with the affected detainees.

Meanwhile, relatives of the deceased have demanded an independent investigation and autopsy to establish what happened to their loved ones.

Abdullahi, whose son, Salim, was among those detained, said the young man, the family’s breadwinner, had left home for a mining site three days earlier before he learnt that he had been arrested.

“For the past three days, we had been coming and appealing to the command for their release, but the officers told us they could not release them,” he said.

According to him, relatives had been taking food to the detainees and had no indication that his son was ill.

“Even yesterday, we brought food. He and the others ate and they were okay.

“It was when we came this morning, Thursday, to give them food that we saw that my son and many others were already dead,” he said.

Abdullahi demanded the release of the bodies to the families for independent autopsies.

“My son is not a thief. He does not steal or fight. He only engaged in mining to survive and support us.

“As I am talking to you, they have refused us access to the dead bodies for us to ascertain what happened.

“They should tell us what truly killed our children. Was it poison or tear gas?

“What is their reason for killing my son and the others? We need justice. They should release the corpses to us and we will seek an independent autopsy. We will not let this go like this,” he said.

The survivors said many of those arrested were displaced residents of Allawa who took to artisanal mining after bandit attacks forced them from their communities and deprived them of their traditional livelihoods.

“We were chased away from our homes in Allawa by bandits. We are just trying to earn a living. We do not carry arms or weapons,” one survivor said.

The deaths sparked protests in parts of Minna on Thursday as relatives and residents demanded explanations.

The NSCDC expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and pledged that the circumstances surrounding the deaths would be thoroughly investigated.

It said that while it remained committed to combating illegal mining and protecting critical national assets, it was equally committed to safeguarding the “dignity, safety and fundamental rights” of persons in its custody.

With survivors alleging suffocation and the NSCDC awaiting medical findings, the actual cause of the deaths remains undetermined pending the investigation and medical examination.