FRESH REVELATIONS EMERGE ON DEATHS OF 37 MINERS IN NSCDC CUSTODY
…Bago promises compensation to deceased families, survivors
More details have emerged on the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 37 artisanal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State, with survivors giving accounts of overcrowding, heat, denial of water and the alleged spraying of a substance inside their cell.
Contrary to earlier reports that seven people survived the incident, about 14 detainees are said to have survived.
One of the survivors, 11-year-old Sanusi, said only four of the 14 survivors were able to walk out of the cell, while the others were unconscious.
Sanusi, a Primary five pupil, was taken home by his parents directly from the NSCDC office after the incident.
He said the male miners were kept in a single cell, while about 18 women arrested during the operation were placed in another cell.
According to him, 43 miners arrested at another mining site were brought into the cell where 17 people were already being held, resulting in 60 detainees being crammed into the room.
“When we complained about the overcrowding, we were instructed to sleep standing up,” he said.
Sanusi said there were several cells at the facility, but that the men and boys were packed into one cell while another housed women.
He alleged that shortly after they were brought into the cell, an NSCDC personnel opened the door and sprayed a canister into the room.
He said the situation worsened after the rain stopped at about 10pm, as extreme heat in the overcrowded cell triggered a struggle for space.
“Some people started to faint. We begged for water but were ignored,” he said.
Sanusi further alleged that by about 10pm, about seven people had already died, adding that the officers threatened to shoot anyone who spoke.
He said a warning shot was fired into the air before the door was secured with an additional padlock and the officers left.
The survivor, who complained of head and chest pains, displayed severe bite marks on his arms, back and waist.
He said the injuries were caused by detainees who, in extreme pain as they were dying, bit people around them.
“Those who were dying were in such extreme agony that they began biting the people next to them,” he said.
Another survivor, 11-year-old Abdullahi, a Primary Five pupil at a Universal Basic Education (UBE) school, said he had gone into artisanal gold mining because his parents were poor and he needed money for his education.
He said it was his first time being arrested.
Abdullahi corroborated the account of overcrowding, saying detainees were denied food and water.
He said more people were forced into the cell after the Isha prayer, despite complaints about the lack of space.
“When the group complained about the lack of space, the personnel told them to shut up,” he said.
According to him, an officer later came and sprayed a substance into the room, causing people to faint.
“We were held for three days,” he said.
Abdullahi attributed his survival to an older detainee who pushed him, Sanusi and two others into what appeared to be a toilet when the officer came to spray the substance.
He said they remained there and avoided inhaling the substance before eventually coming out after some time.
The accounts have added to growing questions surrounding the circumstances of the deaths of the 37 miners and the conditions under which the detainees were held.
“The older man saved us from the worst of the spray. He pushed us inside the tolilet and cloesed the door. Everyone who that thing was sprayed on were fainting when we opened the door later. Even now, i am currently experiencing chest pain and it may be from the small one that i inhaled,” he said.
The father of Abdullahi, Khalid Musa said that they were refused bail saying that they should prepare for court.
“On Wednesday, we went to court, we got a lawyer, and we went with the lawyer so he could help secure bail for these children but they still said they wouldn’t grant bail because the Commander said he would gather all of them and take them to the Federal High Court.
“There is a female neighbor of ours who is close to us; her child was 13 years old, but he died. She was detained and she said when she was crying, a personnel told her to save her tears, that crying wouldn’t help her now. He said there would be a time when she would need her tears, that she might not be crying enough now, but she would definitely cry later. So, that was a sign that they had something in mind or had planned something.
“When day broke, on Thursday, we decided to go give them food. We took the food to them on Thursday morning. We hoped that by 12:00, when the boss came out to go wherever he needed to go, they would try to grant bail to these young children. But when we went in the morning to give them food, they said they wouldn’t allow us to enter. They claimed the commander had arrived and there were things they were doing inside.
“A while later, standing off to one side, we saw a military vehicle arrive, and personnel went in. Then we saw the Commissioner of Police go in. Then we saw soldiers arrive, and mobile police came and stationed themselves. Then someone explained to us that some of these children had died inside. We went and pleaded for them to allow us to go inside to see the children, to see those who had died and those who hadn’t, but they said no, they wouldn’t allow it. Later on, when they opened the place, all of them were dead. Only few of them were moving or breathing.”
He said that after his son and three others who were in the toilet were the only ones who could walk when the cell was opened, “when the place was opened, they had all fainted, they were not found conscious. Those four who went into the toilet were the only ones who could eventually walk, but as for the rest, none of them could even stand up or do anything.”
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, had said that the government would provide palliatives and other forms of support to the families of the deceased and those who survived adding that the Emir of Minna would supervise the distribution of the assistance.
He stated that the state government is still investigating the actual cause of the deaths of persons who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) assuring the families that the government would conduct a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths, stressing that the findings would be made public.
Speaking at the three-day Fida’a prayer held at the Tunga Central Mosque in Minna for the souls of those who died in the NSCDC detention facility, the Governor said the prayer was organised to honour the deceased, console their families and pray for peace in Niger State and Nigeria.
“Government is doing everything possible to get to the crux of this matter. When that is done, it will be made very public. We are not going to take anything for granted. We are going to probe deeply so that we can get the real causes of these deaths.”
He explained that preliminary information indicated that some people were already in the detention cells before the newly arrested persons were brought in, adding that the investigation would determine who was detained earlier, who was brought in later, and the identities and ages of those arrested.
The governor appealed to residents of Minna and other Nigerlites to shun violence, assuring them that the curfew imposed following the unrest would be lifted on to allow residents to return to their normal activities.
On mining activities in the area, Bago said the government would enforce a ban on mining within the residential community, stressing that the location was not designated for mining.
The Chief Imam of Tunga Central Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Salisu Isah Mai Dalalainu, who led the prayer, prayed for Allah’s comfort and mercy for the families of the deceased describing the incident as unfortunate and urged residents not to allow it to become a reason for public unrest or violence.
The cleric also prayed for divine guidance and wisdom for Governor Bago, elected and appointed leaders, traditional rulers and other authorities in the state.
A visit to the M I Wushishi mining site showed that the miners had resumed mining despite orders from the state government placing a ban on mining activities.
When The Nation visited the mining sites, children, women and men were seen actively mining without fear or running away at the sight of anyone.
One of the boys who would not be more than 15 years told the reporter, “this is where we are and not even the government can stop us”.
The Niger State Police Command, in compliance with the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu has taken over and commenced full investigation into the unfortunate deaths of artisanal miners while in the NSCDC office.
The Commissioner of Police, Niger State Command, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman has directed the deployment of Operation Flush patrol teams to secure and cordon off the scene, while the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Minna, commenced preliminary forensic investigations as part of efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Elleman assures the families and relatives of the deceased, as well as members of the public, that the investigation is being conducted diligently and professionally, with concerted efforts aimed at establishing all relevant facts and circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incident.
The Command therefore appeals for calm, patience, cooperation and continued adherence to the law as the investigation progresses. Any relevant findings arising from the inquiry will be handled in accordance with extant laws and due process.
