A survivor of the incident in which 37 suspected illegal miners died in Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) custody in Niger State has alleged that 65 detainees were crammed into a single cell before an unidentified substance was sprayed inside.
The survivor said the substance smelled like perfume but caused a burning sensation in the throat and eyes, while extreme heat and overcrowding left some detainees collapsing.
He made the allegation on Friday when Niger State Governor Umaru Bago and Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo met with survivors of the incident in Minna.
According to the survivor, 17 detainees were initially placed in the small cell before another 48 were brought in.
“The room was very small. At first, they put 17 of us inside, and then they brought another 48 people in,” he said.
He said the detainees complained about the overcrowding but were allegedly ordered to remain inside.
“We told them the room was too small, but they refused to listen to us. They ordered all of us to stand up because we were so crowded inside.”
The survivor alleged that an unidentified substance was then sprayed inside the cell before the door was locked.
“Then, they sprayed something and locked the door. Some people started collapsing due to the extreme heat. We begged them for water, but they said no.”
He said he eventually lost consciousness and regained awareness the following morning.
“I don’t know what type of spray it was. It smelled like perfume, but it felt very hot in the throat and made our eyes hot. After that, I didn’t know what happened because I spent the night unconscious.”
The allegation has not been independently established, and authorities have yet to determine whether the substance played any role in the deaths.
Interior Ministry orders investigation
Tunji-Ojo said the Ministry of Interior would investigate the incident and work with the Niger State Government to establish what happened.
The minister also said President Bola Tinubu was concerned about the deaths.
“For us, we will do the needful on our part, and we will collaborate very well with the government of Niger state because it is only one government, All Progressives Congress (APC) government,” Tunji-Ojo said.
The Federal Government has also deployed a high-powered team to investigate the deaths.
Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake announced the deployment on Friday, saying the team would investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths and establish the facts of the incident.
The cause of the 37 deaths remains subject to investigation, with survivor accounts raising concerns about overcrowding, ventilation and conditions inside the detention facility.
