Survivors of the Niger State detention incident have recounted how they watched fellow detainees die one after another in an overcrowded cell, alleging that repeated pleas for water, ventilation and medical assistance went unanswered.
At least 37 suspected illegal miners arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, died barely two days after their arrest, with survivors attributing the deaths to extreme heat, overcrowding and lack of access to water.
In interviews with Zarar Bunu TV, some of the survivors described how their colleagues gasped for breath and died one after another while they waited for help.
“Those who still had a vestige of life began crying out and banging hard on the door, but the NSCDC personnel on duty remained unresponsive,” Dauda Shehu, one of the suspects, told Zarar Bunu TV.
Shehu said he and his colleagues had left Allawa village in search of better opportunities, unaware of the tragedy that awaited them.
“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.
According to Shehu, the ordeal began after community leaders in Lokoto, a small village and residential settlement in Bosso Local Government Area of Niger State, demanded N150,000 for each mining pit. He said many of the young miners were unable to pay the amount.
“We met with them at the palace. They demanded N150,000 for each mining pit, but we complained that diamonds were not abundant in the area and, therefore, we could not raise the amount. A few of us paid, while some promised to pay,” he said.
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Shehu said 66 suspects were held in a single cell, while six survivors were currently receiving treatment in hospital.
“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.
“We complained that the cell was too small to accommodate all of us, but they did not listen to us. We watched our colleagues die, and even when we raised the alarm, they thought we were lying.
“We drank urine because we could not access water due to the heat. Some people died in the night, while others died in the morning on Thursday,” he said.
Another survivor, Aminu Sale, not his real name, said the detainees were drenched in sweat as they struggled to survive in the overcrowded cell. “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 of the state and that mining was his only source of income.
Parents who saw the bodies of their children appealed to the authorities to release the remains for burial. Hauwa Umar, not her real name, said her nephew was among the victims and urged the authorities to release his remains.
“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.
Ummi Halli, also not her real name, appealed to the authorities to release the remains of her grandson. “They committed no offence. They were earning their living legitimately. His younger brother came panting to tell me about the death of his elder brother. We need his remains immediately,” she said.
Mallam Abdullahi, a security guard at A.A. Rano filling station along Mai Tumbi, said he had sought bail for his son from the NSCDC for three days, but his request was declined.
“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.
Daily Trust
