A Federal Government independent investigative panel has confirmed that 37 suspected illegal miners held in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State died of asphyxiation (suffocation).
The chairman of the committee and former Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Jonathan Kure, disclosed the findings on Tuesday while presenting the investigation report to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in Abuja.
The victims were among dozens of suspects arrested during anti-illegal mining operations conducted around the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Minna, Niger State. They died in custody on September 17.
Although the NSCDC Niger State Command initially attributed the sudden deaths to a “suspected disease outbreak,” forensic autopsies, site inspections, and witness statements gathered by the federal committee confirmed that severe lack of oxygen in the detention facility caused the fatal suffocations.
In response to the findings, Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo pledged full implementation of the recommendations and ordered the immediate suspension of all officers involved in attempts to cover up the incident or clean the detention scene to destroy evidence.
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