Horror in NSCDC cell of death – Survivors Allege Suffocation, Neglect as 37 Die in NSCDC Custody

By FRONTLINE REPORTERS

What happened inside a detention cell operated by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State, has become the subject of a national investigation following the deaths of at least 37 suspected illegal miners in custody.

Survivors have given harrowing accounts of overcrowding, extreme heat, lack of ventilation and desperate attempts to obtain air and water before scores of detainees reportedly collapsed and died.

One of the survivors, Shehu, an indigene of Allawa in Shiroro Local Government Area of the state, said panic erupted after detainees suddenly realised they were 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,” he recounted.

According to him, the detainees screamed for help and repeatedly banged on the cell door, appealing to officers outside to intervene.

“We even appealed to the officers several times; we banged the cell door but they refused to answer us,” he alleged.

“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.”

By the time the situation was brought under control, dozens of the detainees had reportedly died.

A video circulating on social media showed the bodies of some of the victims, several of whom were reportedly minors, laid out on a light-green tarpaulin.

However, the precise cause of the deaths remains unresolved.

The NSCDC attributed the deaths to a disease outbreak but did not immediately identify the illness. Survivors, however, alleged that the detainees died after being exposed to suffocating conditions and dehydration in an overcrowded cell.

Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger State disclosed that preliminary forensic observations had found foam mixed with bloodstains in the mouths of some victims, as well as peeling skin. He said the findings raised questions about possible poisoning, including exposure to hazardous substances such as lead.

‘We drank our urine’

The desperation inside the detention facility was further highlighted by another survivor, who said some detainees resorted to drinking their own urine after allegedly being denied adequate water.

“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 survivor, who spoke anonymously, said his proximity to the entrance may have saved his life.

“We survived because we were close to the entrance and we were screaming for help,” he said.

“Even when we were telling them that people were dying, they did not believe us.”

The survivor said some of those detained had fled Allawa after their communities were displaced by bandit attacks and had moved to Minna to engage in mining to survive.

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

Shehu also questioned the reported death toll, saying the number of people initially held in the cell was substantially higher than the figure contained in some official accounts.

“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 26 people if they claimed it is only 33 that died? We were 65 people that were arrested,” he said.

Families brought food, found bodies

While the detainees were reportedly struggling inside the facility, their relatives remained outside, hoping for their release.

One of them, Musa Abdullahi, said families brought food to the detainees for three consecutive days and repeatedly pleaded with the authorities to release them.

But on Thursday, Abdullahi said he returned to the facility only to discover that his son, Salim, and many others had died.

“We were taking food to them for the three days in detention. But when we took food to them on Thursday, we saw that my son and many others were already dead,” he said.

Abdullahi described Salim as the family’s breadwinner and demanded an independent autopsy to establish how he and the other detainees died.

“They have refused us to see the dead bodies for us to be sure that they were not shot, tortured or killed,” he alleged.

“They should tell us what truly killed our children. Was it that they poisoned or tear-gassed them?

“What is the 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 down like this.”

17-year-old among victims

The tragedy also claimed the life of 17-year-old Saleem, according to his elder brother, Babao Natsira.

Natsira said the families had completed the necessary processes for the detainees’ release before their deaths, but alleged that the NSCDC failed to grant them bail.

He rejected the suggestion that a disease outbreak alone could explain the deaths.

“They killed our children and brothers,” he alleged.

“We visited them for the three days that they were arrested, only for us to hear that they had died.”

He questioned how a disease could allegedly kill so many detainees without apparently affecting the officers who guarded them.

“They must tell us what really killed them,” he said.

Survivor alleges substance was sprayed inside cell

Another survivor, speaking in Hausa during a televised address, said 17 detainees were initially placed inside the cell before additional suspects were brought in.

According to him, the detainees complained repeatedly that the room was too small and excessively hot.

“They locked us in a very small room. We were 17 in number. Then they added more people. And we started complaining that the room was small. The room was very hot. The room became extremely hot,” he said.

He further alleged that a substance resembling perfume was sprayed inside the cell shortly before the door was locked.

“As they were about to lock the room, they sprayed something that looked like perfume, and the smell started disturbing everyone in the room, and that’s how people started falling down,” he alleged.

He said the detainees subsequently pleaded for water but were allegedly told that nobody would open the door that night.

Deaths trigger protests, curfew

News of the deaths triggered anger and protests across parts of Minna.

Residents and mourners took to the streets on Thursday and Friday, with the protests later reportedly hijacked by hoodlums.

Vehicles were vandalised while government and party offices were attacked. Some businesses and markets were also looted or forced to close.

Reports indicated that gunshots and tear gas were used as security personnel attempted to disperse protesters in parts of the city.

Governor Bago subsequently imposed a 24-hour curfew on Minna, saying the streets had been taken over by vandals.

He also suspended mining activities across Niger State pending investigations and soil tests to determine whether hazardous substances could have contributed to the deaths.

Cause of deaths remains unresolved

The conflicting accounts have left the circumstances surrounding the deaths unresolved.

While the NSCDC has cited a disease outbreak, survivors have consistently described a severely overcrowded detention environment in which detainees allegedly struggled for air and water.

Governor Bago introduced another possible explanation after preliminary forensic observations reportedly showed foam mixed with blood in the mouths of some victims and peeling skin.

He said the findings raised the possibility of exposure to substances including methane, cyanide or lead, while stressing that a comprehensive investigation was required before the cause of death could be established.

Tinubu orders comprehensive investigation

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the deaths.

The probe is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the arrests, the condition of the detainees when they were taken into custody, the number of people held at the facility, the conditions inside the detention centre, the medical attention provided and the events leading to the deaths.

Tinubu said allegations of illegal mining did not deprive detainees of their rights to life, dignity and humane treatment.

The Federal Government also suspended the Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC, Suberu Aniviye, pending the outcome of the investigation.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who met some survivors, said the Federal Government would collaborate with the Niger State Government to establish what happened and ensure that appropriate action was taken.

Commandant, 21 officers detained

The suspended Niger State NSCDC commandant and 21 other officers connected with the incident have reportedly been detained in Abuja as investigations continue.

A senior NSCDC officer said the personnel summoned to the national headquarters included the arresting officer, investigation officer and others involved in the handling of the detainees.

NSCDC spokesman, Afolabi Babawale, confirmed that the suspended commandant and other personnel were in custody.

He said those being questioned included the heads of the legal, intelligence and mining units, as well as the officer responsible for the detention cell.

He added that the officers were being interrogated by the head of the NSCDC intelligence unit.

“Investigation is ongoing into the matter,” he said.

Government agencies launch separate probes

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said a high-powered team had been deployed to Niger State to investigate the incident and establish the facts.

Alake called for a transparent and independent inquiry capable of establishing accountability and preventing a recurrence in detention and correctional facilities.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, also pledged police cooperation with the investigation.

Speaking during a condolence visit to the Niger State Government House in Minna, Disu said deaths in custody constituted a serious matter within the purview of the Nigeria Police Force.

Northern governors, Atiku, Sowore demand justice

The Northern Governors’ Forum, led by its Chairman and Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, expressed condolences to the families of the victims and called for a comprehensive and transparent investigation.

Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, also said the deaths required more than condolences, urging the Federal Government to establish the facts and hold anyone found responsible for wrongdoing or negligence accountable.

Atiku said the families deserved clear answers concerning what happened to their relatives while in government custody.

Similarly, African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore called for the investigation of officers allegedly connected with the incident.

He said any officer found culpable should face the appropriate legal consequences.

For the families of the dead miners, however, the central question remains unanswered: what exactly happened inside the NSCDC detention facility between the moment their relatives were arrested and the moment they were declared dead?

That question is now at the centre of the investigations ordered by the Federal Government and Niger State authorities.