A survivor from a prison cell in Nigeria where 37 suspected illegal goldminers died while in the custody of a paramilitary group has recounted his panic and struggle for breath, as police fired teargas at people protesting against the deaths earlier this week. Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) – a paramilitary group that works with police – initially blamed the deaths in Minna, the state capital of mineral-rich Niger state, on a disease outbreak. However, an intelligence report seen by said preliminary information suggested that overcrowding and inadequate ventilation were responsible.
Dauda Shehu, a survivor from the cell, told journalists at a hospital on Friday: “We were jam-packed in the cell, no ventilation for us to breathe well. 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, banged the cell door, but they refused to answer us.” A video shared online showed the bodies of dozens of young men clad only in shorts, most of whom appeared to be teenagers, sprawled on the ground out in the open. Volunteers wearing gloves can be seen standing over the dead, while veiled women try to identify the bodies of their relatives.
Voices shouting curses on those responsible can be heard in the background. Protests over the deaths broke out on Thursday evening in Minna. On Friday dozens of young people, including miners and their relatives, gathered near the NSCDC’s office in the city.
Police cordoned off the area and attempted to disperse the protesters by firing teargas. A witness saw security forces fire live rounds as protesters – some armed with sticks, machetes and traditional hunting rifles – called for justice. Some protesters tried to set fire to government buildings in the Tunga neighbourhood.
At least one body lay on the streets. Soldiers and police officers patrolled Minna to try to restore order. The NSCDC said the detainees had been held in raids on suspected illegal mines on 15 and 16 September in the Wushishi-Lukoto area west of Minna.
Nigeria’s interior minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, ordered the immediate suspension of Niger state’s NSCDC commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, pending the outcome of a full investigation. Niger state, which is Nigeria’s largest and more than twice the size of Belgium, is rich in minerals and attracts thousands of artisanal miners, most lured by gold. Police and the NSCDC did not initially provide a precise number of deaths but the state governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, later confirmed 37 people had died.
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