Survivors of a tragedy that claimed the lives of 37 suspected illegal gold miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have described scenes of panic and desperation as they struggled to breathe inside an overcrowded cell.
The deaths occurred on Thursday in Minna, the Niger State capital, sparking protests and unrest in the city on Friday. Police fired to disperse crowds after protesters blocked a major road and attacked a transport depot.
It was not immediately clear whether officers used live ammunition or anti-riot rounds.
The federal government has suspended the NSCDC state commandant and ordered a full investigation into the deaths.
However, anger intensified after survivors said the miners had been packed into poorly ventilated cells and appeared to have died from suffocation.
“We were jam-packed in the cell, no ventilation for us to breathe well,” survivor Dauda Shehu told journalists from a hospital in Minna.
“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 and banged on the cell door, but they refused to answer us.
“Several times, we raised the alarm that some people were already dying because of suffocation, but nobody answered us.”
Another survivor, who requested anonymity, said he survived because he was positioned close to the entrance of the cell, where he was able to access more air.
“We were screaming for help,” he said, adding that they told guards that “people are dying one after the other”, but their pleas were ignored.
A 40-second video circulating online and purportedly showing the victims appeared to show dozens of young men, most wearing only shorts, lying on the ground outdoors. Many appeared to be teenagers.
An intelligence report seen by AFP indicated that overcrowding and inadequate ventilation may have contributed to the deaths. The NSCDC initially attributed the incident to disease.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths have triggered widespread concern and renewed scrutiny of detention conditions within the civil defence agency.
Niger State, which is more than twice the size of Belgium, is rich in mineral resources and attracts thousands of artisanal miners, many of whom are drawn by the prospect of finding gold.
The competition for gold deposits in illegal mining areas has also contributed to insecurity in parts of the state, according to officials and security experts. Criminal gangs, commonly known as bandits, reportedly tax miners and demand a share of extracted minerals in exchange for access to mining sites.
Amid the unrest, Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago imposed a night-time curfew in Minna in an effort to restore calm.
The Ministry of Interior said NSCDC state commandant Suberu Siyaka Aniviye had been suspended pending an investigation into the incident.
The NSCDC is a paramilitary organisation that works alongside the police and other security agencies.
“A full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended,” Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said in a statement.
