33 Suspected Illegal Miners Suffocate In NSCDC Cell As Ministerial Panel Uncovers Shocking Details

A ministerial committee investigating the deaths of 33 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, has concluded that the detainees died from suffocation caused by overcrowding and poor ventilation.

The committee submitted its findings to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in Abuja on Tuesday, with its chairman, Jonathan Kure, stating that medical and forensic evidence ruled out a disease outbreak as the cause of the deaths.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the panel established that the victims suffered environmental asphyxia, a condition in which the body is deprived of sufficient oxygen. The report attributed the incident to prolonged confinement in an overcrowded cell with inadequate ventilation, compounded by excessive heat and dehydration.

The committee held NSCDC officials responsible for failing to fulfil their duty of care towards the detainees, describing the incident as a preventable tragedy resulting from serious lapses in detention management and supervision.

The report’s executive summary identified severe overcrowding, unsuitable detention conditions, disregard for repeated distress warnings, inadequate supervision and broader institutional weaknesses as factors that contributed to the deaths.

The panel also disclosed that the operation leading to the arrest of the suspected illegal miners was carried out without an operational order or approval from the NSCDC’s national headquarters. The arrests were conducted during enforcement activities targeting suspected illegal mining operations in and around Minna.

To establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, the committee gathered evidence from NSCDC leadership, field officers, cell guards, healthcare workers, survivors, relatives of the deceased, community representatives and cemetery officials.

It also examined several records, including arrest and detention registers, communication logs, duty rosters, hospital and mortuary documents, autopsy reports and burial records.

According to the committee, investigators interviewed 29 of the 41 survivors, nine of whom were minors. The evidence gathered from different sources was analysed and cross-checked to reconstruct the sequence of events and determine responsibility.

The findings have raised serious concerns about detention conditions, the treatment of suspects in custody and the responsibility of security agencies to protect the lives and welfare of detainees.

The committee’s report points to significant operational and supervisory failures within the NSCDC and characterises the deaths as avoidable, underscoring the need for accountability and measures to prevent similar incidents.