Survivor describes how 37 miners died one by one in Minna NSCDC cell

A survivor of the mass detention deaths at the Niger State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has given a chilling eyewitness account of how 37 suspected illegal miners died one after another inside an overcrowded, poorly ventilated cell — as bereaved families alleged officials demanded N100,000 for their relatives’ release and refused to allow food to be delivered to detainees.

According to Tribune, survivor Dauda Shehu, speaking from the General Hospital in Minna where he was receiving treatment alongside five others, described a scene of desperate helplessness as detainees suffocated in a cell packed with approximately 65 people following NSCDC raids on illegal mining sites around the M.I. Wushishi Estate and Lukoto area of Minna on September 15 and 16.

“We watched as our colleagues dropped dead one after another. When it became clear that we were in danger, we all raised the alarm. People screamed and called for help, but nobody chose to listen to us,” Shehu told The Associated Press.

He said detainees banged on the cell door in a desperate attempt to attract guards, but received no response. When no help came, they tried unsuccessfully to break the door open. Those positioned farthest from the door began collapsing first, while survivors were mostly those nearest to it.

Another survivor described watching the person beside him shake violently before collapsing. “The small cell was filled to capacity. There was no ventilation, and everywhere became stuffy. People started collapsing one after another, and before daybreak, more than half of us had died,” he said.

A mother, Shafa’atu Suleiman, whose son Abdullahi died in custody, alleged that NSCDC officials blocked relatives from delivering food and demanded N100,000 for the detainees’ release. Another father, Mallam Abdullahi, said his son was healthy when he delivered dinner to him, only to be told the following morning that he had died.

Reuters reported seeing 33 bodies at the General Hospital on Thursday. The Niger State Government confirmed 37 deaths on Friday.