At least 33 suspected illegal miners have died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State after being arrested during enforcement operations targeting illegal mining.
The suspects were taken into custody during operations carried out on September 15 and 16 in the vicinity of the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state.
The deaths came to light in the early hours of September 17, and the Niger State NSCDC Command at first attributed them to a possible outbreak of disease.
The NSCDC national headquarters, however, stated that the true cause of death has yet to be determined and that reports linking the deaths to any particular disease are still awaiting medical and laboratory confirmation.
The bodies were placed at the General Hospital, Minna, for medical examination.
The NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has directed a high-powered investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths, covering the suspects’ condition at the time of arrest, how long they were held, the conditions of detention, and the medical attention they received.
The Niger State Police Command has likewise opened a separate investigation into the incident.
