Survivor Recounts How 37 Suspected Miners Died in Overcrowded Niger Detention Cell

A survivor has described the final hours of 37 suspected illegal miners who died in custody after being arrested by officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State. He said 66 people were held in a small cell with little ventilation and no access to water. According to him, detainees gasped for air, banged on the door and called for help as others collapsed. The survivor alleged that some detainees drank urine in an attempt to survive the heat and thirst. He also said the miners had earlier faced demands of ₦150,000 per mining pit from community leaders, although the circumstances surrounding the deaths require an official investigation. Several survivors were reportedly taken to hospital, while public anger has grown over the deaths of the miners, some of whom were said to be teenagers.

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