Displaced people, 14 children among 33 detainees who died in Niger NSCDC custody – Report

Fourteen children were among the 33 detainees who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, in September, while some of the detainees allegedly arrested for illegal mining were people displaced from their communities by bandit attacks, a government investigation report has found.

The Independent Investigation Committee, constituted by the Federal Ministry of Interior, said the minors were among persons, including men and women, arrested during raids on suspected illegal mining sites on 15 and 16 September.

“Our findings established an authenticated casualty toll of thirty-three (33) deaths in custody; fourteen (14) of whom were verified minors resulting directly from cell overcrowding, total atmospheric collapse, environmental asphyxia and gross custodial negligence,” the copy of the report seen by PREMIUM TIMES read.

The report confirmed four of the deceased children to be under 14 years old.

It condemned the detention of children alongside adults in the same cell.

“Holding adults and minors together further breached child-protection requirements,” the report said.

Such treatment of children detainees, the report added, amounted to a total disregard for the NSCDC’s Standard Operating Procereedure.

The report also revealed that many of the arrested artisanal miners were internally displaced persons from communities in Shiroro, Munya, Rafi and Mariga Local Government Areas of Niger State.

According to the 10-member committee chaired by Jonathan Kure, bandits had overrun their ancestral communities, forcing residents to abandon their homes and farming activities. Some subsequently turned to artisanal mining to survive.

The report said surviving detainees appealed to the federal and Niger state governments to intensify security operations to reclaim their communities and allow them to return to farming.

The committee’s findings were contained in a report submitted to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on 27 October.

It said the NSCDC Niger State Command conducted the raids following complaints about mining activities around the M.I. Wushishi axis.

The mining sites were licensed to Ozams Consult and Services Limited and Prixair Resources Limited.

The operation was conducted without an approved operational order, proper planning or consultation with relevant mining authorities.

The specialised Mining Marshals Unit was also not involved, while the NSCDC national headquarters was not informed before the operation.

By the evening of 16 September, 75 people had been detained. Following the release of one person, 74 remained in custody overnight.

The committee found that about 50 male detainees were confined in a cell measuring approximately 12 square metres.

The cell had a solid metal door, inadequate ventilation, no running water and no functioning toilet.

It said food and drinking water were either unavailable or grossly inadequate, while adults and minors were detained together.

The committee authenticated 33 deaths and identified 41 survivors, including nine minors among those interviewed.

It said the deaths resulted from severe overcrowding, poor ventilation, heat exposure and dehydration.

Medical examinations conducted on three bodies indicated acute respiratory failure consistent with environmental asphyxia.

The other 30 bodies had been buried before the medical team arrived, limiting the number of post-mortem examinations.

The committee recommended N30 million compensation for each of the 33 bereaved families and N10 million for each of the 41 survivors, amounting to N1.4 billion. According to the report, the survivors include nine minors under 18.

It also called for educational support for dependants of deceased detainees, medical rehabilitation for survivors and psychosocial support for affected families.