A Federal Government investigative panel has concluded that 37 suspected illegal miners died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, after severe overcrowding and poor detention conditions caused fatal respiratory distress.
The findings, reported by Reuters, attributed the deaths to asphyxia compounded by inadequate ventilation, extreme heat, dehydration and neglect. The panel reportedly found that detainees’ complaints of distress were not adequately addressed.
The findings contradict earlier explanations that a disease outbreak may have caused the deaths. The inquiry drew on detention records, autopsies, hospital reports, communications and accounts from survivors.
The panel recommended compensation of ₦30 million for each victim’s family and ₦10 million for each of 41 survivors. It also called for a sweeping overhaul of the NSCDC leadership. Senior officers have been suspended pending further action.
The case has raised serious questions about the duty of public authorities to protect the lives and dignity of persons in custody, regardless of the allegations that led to their arrest.
The recommendations are not, by themselves, criminal convictions against individual officers. Any disciplinary or criminal responsibility must be determined through the applicable processes.
Earlier reports carried differing casualty figures, making the final official accounting of the deaths an important part of the continuing accountability process.
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