Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, has confirmed that 37 suspected illegal miners died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna.
Bago confirmed the incident on Thursday during a press conference in Minna, describing the deaths as “sad” and “tragic.”
The governor said the state government had constituted a committee of inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
According to him, the NSCDC Commandant in Niger State and his team have been suspended to allow for a proper investigation into the incident.
“The most important is that people died in the custody of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps. They were detained in their cells, and this morning we woke up to the news that 37 of them had died,” Bago said.
The governor said the cause of the deaths had not been officially established, adding that it was too early to draw conclusions.
He said possible causes being investigated included suffocation arising from overcrowding in the detention cell and exposure to hazardous chemicals associated with illegal mining.
“It could be as a result of suffocation because there were so many in a cell. The second issue could be because of exposure to maybe lead poisoning or other very hazardous chemicals that are used to do the illegal mining,” he said.
Bago said forensic examinations, medical examinations and autopsies were being conducted to establish the scientific cause of the deaths.
He also disclosed that committees constituted by the NSCDC, the Inspector General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services were investigating the incident alongside the committee set up by the state government.
The governor said reports that some of the deceased had peeling skin and were foaming from the mouth with blood were among the issues being examined by investigators.
However, he cautioned against concluding until the forensic and medical investigations are completed.
Bago also announced the closure of the illegal mining site in the MiOshishi area, saying mining activities there had been conducted without appropriate technology and safety equipment.
He appealed for calm following the movement of the bodies to the mortuary, which he said triggered emotional reactions and violence among some youths.
“We are calling on all the youths to please stay away from violence. It’s not going to bring back those that have died. It would cost us a lot at the end of the day,” he said.
The governor said the state government was compiling a register of the deceased to enable it to identify and reach out to their families.
He expressed condolences to the families of the victims and prayed for the repose of the souls of those who died.
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