NSCDC officer admits negligence as miners in detention screamed for help

By Damilola Akinwale –

The officer in charge of the detention facility of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Niger State Command, Usman Isah Ndamaka, has admitted that he heard 37 detained miners screaming for help but ignored them until they died.

Ndamaka made the admission while testifying before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry in Minna on Wednesday, following the Federal Government’s vow to ensure justice for the victims.

The officer became visibly emotional before the panel as he recounted what happened, insisting that the cell was overcrowded and hot. He admitted that he heard the detained suspects screaming for help but refused to open the cell because he feared being overpowered.

“I heard them screaming in the cell until they gave up the ghost. The fear of being overpowered by them prevented me from opening the cell door, despite hearing them screaming and shouting because of overcrowding and the heat inside,” he said.

Ndamaka further explained that the miners arrived late in the evening during heavy rainfall and that there were not enough officers on duty to handle them.

Expressing regret over the incident, he said, “I am very sorry for the demise of the miners in my custody. It is unfortunate that this happened under my watch. I am pained, and it is very unfortunate that this happened. I am very sorry. I admit my mistake”.

In an interview with Zarar Bunu TV during preliminary investigations, some survivors narrated how the deceased gasped for air and banged on the cell door while the officer on duty ignored their cries for help. They said they were not tortured but complained of excessive heat in the cell, alleging that 60 of them had been confined in one cell, forcing them to drink their urine to survive.

Western Post reports that the Federal Government had earlier promised to get to the root of the matter following reports of the miners’ deaths.