Country Director of Amnesty International, Isa Sanusi, has stated that it is prejudicial to describe the 37 miners who died in the custody of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Niger State as illegal miners, especially when they are not alive to defend themselves.
DAILY POST earlier reported the shocking news of the deaths of the detainees, who had been described as suspected illegal gold miners, while in NSCDC custody.
However, some of the survivors have narrated their ordeals inside the cell where they were detained.
One of them, while recounting his experience, said 17 people were initially locked inside a small room before additional detainees were brought in.
According to him, the detainees complained about the size of the room and the intense heat but were still kept inside.
He equally alleged that an unidentified substance, which he described as looking like perfume, was sprayed inside the room.
Speaking on Arise News, Sanusi said, “Based on the investigation we have conducted so far, the cell where they were held was designed to accommodate no more than 10 people, yet 67 people were detained there.
“Between Tuesday, the 15th, and Wednesday, the 16th, Minna was experiencing extremely hot weather.
“These are serious human rights issues that we need to be talking about, particularly the decision to detain 67 people in a facility meant to accommodate no more than 10.”
Mass death of NSCDC detainees: What we’ve discovered – Amnesty International