A surviving suspected illegal miner detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State has alleged that a substance resembling perfume was sprayed inside an overcrowded cell shortly before some detainees began collapsing.
The allegation was made on Friday during an address to Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, as authorities continue investigating the deaths of 37 detainees.
Tripod Times reports that the survivor, who spoke in Hausa, said 17 people were initially held in the cell before more detainees were brought in despite complaints that the room was too small and unbearably hot.
“They locked us in a very small room. We were 17 in number. Then they added more people. And we started complaining that the room was small. The room was very hot,” he said.
He alleged that officers later ordered the detainees to stand as they prepared to lock the cell before spraying a substance that looked like perfume inside the room.
Tripod Times reports that the survivor’s account comes as investigations continue into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who were detained by the NSCDC in Niger State.
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago said 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners had been detained in the NSCDC facility before 37 of them died. The miners were arrested during NSCDC operations in M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto on September 15 and 16.
The NSCDC initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak but later stated that medical examinations would determine the actual cause of death.
Bago said investigators are examining possible causes, including suffocation caused by overcrowding and exposure to hazardous substances associated with illegal mining, while autopsies and forensic examinations are ongoing.
The Federal Government has ordered a full investigation into the incident, while the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, has been suspended pending the outcome of the probe.
