Survivors Describe Harsh Detention Conditions After 37 Nigerian Miners Die in Custody

Thirty-seven people suspected of working as illegal miners have died in custody in Nigeria in recent days, while survivors have described severe detention conditions and authorities have begun investigations.

The cause of the deaths has not been established. Mohammed Umaru Bago, governor of Niger State, said forensic examinations and autopsies were being conducted.

Survivor recounts detention

Dauda Shehu, a 29-year-old miner who was detained with others, said conditions inside the cell became unbearable. He told of detainees sweating heavily, while one person fainted and had to be resuscitated.

Shehu said a plea for assistance was made to NSCDC officials but was ignored. Recalling his experience after a friend died in custody, he said: “How I survived in that cell is only by the grace of God. It felt as if they wanted all of us to die there. We would have resisted the arrest at the mining site and even been prepared to die there.”

His account describes the experience of a surviving detainee, but the available information does not establish whether detention conditions contributed to the deaths.

Investigations and suspensions

The Nigerian government has appointed a 10-member committee comprising representatives from the law, security, mining and medical professions to investigate the situation.

The Niger State government has also established a committee of inquiry. In addition, authorities announced the suspension of 20 more NSCDC personnel, while the head of the security agency in Niger State was suspended.

The identities of those who died, the precise location of the detention facility and the findings of the examinations and committees have not been disclosed.

Illegal mining and insecurity

Illegal mining remains a significant challenge in parts of north-central and northwest Nigeria. Analysts have linked mining activities in those regions to armed gangs involved in kidnappings for ransom.

Those analysts have also claimed that some armed groups receive funding from the illicit mining trade. These links have not been independently established in the information available about the deaths.