An independent investigative committee has found that 33 miners who died in detention in Niger State died of acute respiratory failure aggravated by extreme heat and overcrowding. It described the deaths as avoidable and the conditions of their detention as cruel and inhuman.
Presenting the report in Abuja on Tuesday, committee chairman Jonathan Kure said the male cell was overcrowded, poorly ventilated and had no functional toilet. He said 33 bodies were verified and taken dead to the hospital.
The panel found that officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) ignored distress calls from detainees who banged on the cell door and begged for water. It concluded that the deaths resulted from the officers’ failure to respond, despite evidence that those in the cell were in serious difficulty.
The committee also found extensive leadership failure by the NSCDC commandant in Niger State. It accused him of issuing a false public statement that blamed the deaths on a disease outbreak. It recommended his summary dismissal, along with that of all other officers directly involved in the detention and deaths.
Among other findings, the panel said one of the victims had been arrested over a debt issue and that 14 minors were detained with the miners.
It recommended ₦1.4 billion in compensation for the families of the 33 deceased miners and 44 survivors. It also called for disciplinary action against the implicated officers and reforms to strengthen leadership and accountability within the corps.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who received the report, promised to implement its recommendations to ensure justice for the families and survivors. He directed the NSCDC commandant to immediately suspend the officers who cleaned up the detention centre, an act the committee said was an attempt to destroy evidence.
