37 miners died of suffocation in NSCDC custody, panel finds
A federal government investigative panel has identified asphyxiation as the cause of death of 37 suspected illegal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.
Jonathan Kure, chairman of the 10-member independent committee, disclosed this on Tuesday while submitting the panel’s report to Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior, in Abuja.
Asphyxiation occurs when the body is deprived of adequate oxygen, potentially resulting in unconsciousness, organ damage or death.
The federal government established the committee on September 19 following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a full and transparent investigation into the incident.
The panel’s investigation followed the deaths of the suspects after their arrest during operations conducted by NSCDC personnel on September 15 and 16 around Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate in Minna.
Suberu Aniviye, the NSCDC commandant in Niger State, had said in a statement that “scores of the detained suspects were found dead in the early hours of Thursday following a suspected outbreak of disease”.
Following the incident, the federal government suspended the state commandant and ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Tunji-Ojo subsequently announced the suspension of 21 officers in connection with the incident.
