“We Watched Them Die One by One”: Survivors Recount How 37 Miners Died in NSCDC Custody

By Emmanuel Kwada

Survivors of the detention of suspected illegal miners in Niger State have recounted harrowing moments inside an overcrowded Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) facility, alleging that detainees cried for help as their colleagues died one after another.

At least 37 suspected illegal miners died after being arrested during enforcement operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16. The NSCDC initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, while authorities have ordered investigations, medical examinations and autopsies to establish the actual cause.

Lifeless bodies of the 37 miners. Credit: Zarar Bunu TV

But survivors interviewed by Zarar Bunu TV gave a different account, describing extreme heat, overcrowding and inadequate ventilation inside the detention facility.

One of the survivors, Dauda Shehu, said detainees repeatedly cried out and banged on the cell door as some struggled to breathe.

“Those who still had a vestige of life began crying out and banging hard on the door, but NSCDC personnel on duty remained unresponsive,” Shehu said.

Shehu said he and others had travelled from Allawa in search of a livelihood, only to find themselves detained after a dispute over an alleged N150,000 payment demanded for each mining pit.

“We met with them at the palace. They demanded N150k for each mining pit, but we complained that diamonds were not abundant in the area, and, therefore, we could not raise the amount,” he said.

According to him, some miners paid while others promised to pay later.

They demanded N150k for each mining pit, but we complained that diamonds were not abundant in the area.

He alleged that 66 people were subsequently held in a single cell.

“Sixty-six of us were put in one cell. Six people are currently on admission. They did not torture us, but there was excessive heat,” he said.

Shehu said the detainees repeatedly complained about the size of the cell and lack of ventilation but received no effective response.

“We watched our colleagues die, and even when we raised the alarm, they thought we were lying,” he said.

He further claimed that the detainees resorted to drinking their own urine because of the heat and lack of access to water.

“We exhausted every means to stay alive, including drinking our urine and calling for help, but no one came to our aid. The inmates on the left and right began falling one after another,” he said.

Another survivor, identified as Aminu Sale, said detainees were drenched in sweat as they struggled to survive in the crowded facility.

We watched our colleagues die, and even when we raised the alarm, they thought we were lying.

“We shared, in turns, a small window for ventilation. Many of my friends and relatives have fallen,” he said.

Sale said he was among internally displaced persons from Allawa in Shiroro Local Government Area and depended on mining for his livelihood.

Families Demand Bodies

The deaths have left families demanding the release of the remains of their relatives for burial.

Hauwa Umar, whose nephew was among those who died, said the family wanted his remains released.

“We don’t want our son in the mortuary. We need his remains. They cannot bring our son back, but they are holding his remains. This is sheer injustice,” she said.

Another relative, Ummi Halli, also appealed for the immediate release of her grandson’s remains.

She said the young men were earning their livelihoods and called for their bodies to be returned to their families.

“I Lost a Breadwinner”

Malam Abdullahi, a security guard at an A.A. Rano filling station along Mai Tumbi, said he had spent three days seeking bail for his son after his arrest.

He said he took food to his son on the night before the deaths and returned the following morning, only to find him dead.

“I saw ambulances loaded with corpses. I took food to my son that night. I also took food to him in the morning, but found his lifeless body. I lost a breadwinner,” he said.

We don’t want our son in the mortuary. We need his remains.

The accounts by survivors have intensified questions over the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The Niger State Government has constituted a committee of inquiry and ordered forensic examinations and autopsies to establish the exact cause of death. The committee is chaired by Deputy Governor Yakubu Garba.

The Federal Government has also ordered a full investigation, while the NSCDC Commandant-General, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, directed the Niger State Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, and key officers to step aside pending the investigation.

Meanwhile, protests erupted in Minna on Friday over the deaths, with security forces deployed across parts of the state capital. Reports said some protesters damaged government and private property.

Governor Umar Bago subsequently imposed a 24-hour curfew on Minna, effective after Friday’s Juma’at prayers, citing the unrest and destruction of property.

With official investigations still ongoing, the conflicting accounts surrounding the deaths have left families demanding answers over how 37 detainees came to lose their lives within days of their arrest.

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