Thirty-seven people accused of illegal mining in north-central Nigeria have died in custody, local officials said. Police have set up an investigation into the deaths, which the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) blamed on an apparent disease outbreak. However, an intelligence report shared with news agency suggested the group died because of overcrowding and poor ventilation inside the detention facility in Niger state.
"We believe they suffocated because there was no ventilation," the father of one of those detained told the BBC. Abdullahi Dalhatu said his son had survived because he was near a small window. "His friend slumped and fainted, and many others also collapsed." His son described how detainees began collapsing in the heat of the overcrowded and poorly ventilated cell, his father said.
He said the detainees repeatedly knocked on the door for help but nobody opened it. State governor Mohammed Umaru Bago called the deaths "sad and tragic" during a press conference on Thursday. An NSCDC commander has been detained following the deaths, Bago added.
He declared three days of mourning and postponed the start of campaigning for elections scheduled for January. Officials had arrested the group of young men on Tuesday for suspected illegal mining near Borgu, in the mineral-rich state of Niger. The region is known for small-scale gold mining.
Two days later, 37 people detained as part of the suspected unlawful operation were found dead inside the detention centre run by the NSCDC, a paramilitary agency responsible for protecting critical infrastructure and tackling crimes including illegal mining. It also assists police with internal security operations. The NSCDC told the BBC that illegal mining was widespread in Niger state, where artisanal miners often operate in open fields.
Its spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, said more than 50 people were arrested during an operation earlier this week. They had not been charged because profiling and documentation were still under way before the deaths, he said. "Illegal mining in Niger is serious," Afolabi said.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
