A Nigerian federal commission concluded on Tuesday, October 27, in Abuja that 37 artisanal miners suspected of illegal mining died of asphyxiation in an overcrowded cell of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State. These findings rule out the initial hypothesis of an epidemic following the deaths that occurred on September 17.
According to the commission president, Jonathan Kure, about 50 men had been confined in a space of approximately 20 square meters. Poor ventilation, heat, dehydration, and the lack of response to distress signals caused acute respiratory failure, according to the information presented to the Minister of the Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
The commission states that it inspected the detention site in Minna, conducted autopsies, collected statements from NSCDC officers, survivors, relatives, and witnesses, and then examined medical records, detention documents, and forensic evidence. It attributes the tragedy to institutional failures and a breach of the duty to protect detainees.
The report recommends the payment of 30 million nairas to each of the bereaved families and 10 million nairas to each of the 41 survivors. It also calls for a reform of the NSCDC leadership, according to Reuters, while the authorities have yet to detail the disciplinary or judicial actions they intend to take in response to the findings.
The victims had been apprehended on September 15 and 16 during operations conducted around the Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi neighborhood in Minna. The government subsequently suspended the NSCDC commander in Niger State and twenty other officers during the investigation.
President Bola Tinubu had ordered a full investigation following the announcement of the deaths. On September 19, the Ministry of the Interior established an independent ten-member commission tasked with establishing the circumstances of the arrests, detention, and deaths, and then determining any possible responsibilities.
The NSCDC had not immediately responded to a request for comment from Reuters on the findings. However, the report provides an official cause for the deaths, following several weeks of dispute by survivors over the version citing illness.
