Fresh details have emerged over the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in Niger State after a surviving detainee alleged that an unidentified substance was sprayed inside their cell shortly after they were locked up by officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The survivor made this known during a visit by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to some of the miners who survived the incident and are currently in the custody of the Department of State Services.
According to the survivor, the substance was sprayed inside the cell after the detainees had been taken into custody, after which several people began collapsing.
“They sprayed something in the cell after putting us inside, and people started falling down,” the survivor reportedly told the minister.
The allegation comes amid growing concerns over the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the miners, who were arrested during enforcement operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.
Earlier on Friday, the Minister of Interior had ordered a full-scale investigation into the incident, while the NSCDC leadership directed senior officials of its Niger State Command to step aside pending the outcome of the inquiry.
The directive was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the NSCDC spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, in Abuja.
Afolabi said Tunji-Ojo directed the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Audi, to activate a transparent and unhindered investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
In compliance with the directive, Audi ordered the Niger State Commandant and heads of Operations, Mining, Legal, Intelligence and Investigation to report immediately to the NSCDC national headquarters in Abuja to appear before the panel of inquiry.
The NSCDC also directed a new commandant to take charge of the Niger State Command pending the conclusion of the investigation.
Audi, according to Afolabi, assured the minister that the inquiry would be thorough and that any personnel found culpable would face appropriate administrative, disciplinary or criminal sanctions in accordance with the law.
He further reaffirmed the corps’ commitment to protecting the dignity, safety and fundamental rights of persons in its custody.
Similarly, President Bola Tinubu has ordered a separate full and transparent investigation into the deaths.
Tinubu said the deaths were a grave matter, stressing that suspected illegal miners remained entitled to their fundamental rights while in government custody.
He said the government would continue to enforce laws against illegal mining and other criminal activities but insisted that such operations must be conducted within the law and with respect for human dignity.
The President directed investigators to examine the circumstances of the arrests, the condition of the detainees when they were taken into custody, the conditions of detention, the number of people held at the facility, the medical care provided and events preceding the deaths.
Tinubu further warned that any official whose action, abuse or negligence is established to have contributed to the deaths should be arrested and prosecuted.
He also stressed that the suspension of officials must not replace an investigation into possible criminal responsibility.
The President directed the Ministry of Interior and NSCDC leadership to cooperate fully with investigators and ensure that no official interferes with the process.
He appealed for calm among the affected families and communities, while assuring them that the government would establish the facts and take appropriate action based on credible evidence.