Activist Aisha Yesufu has questioned the circumstances surrounding the deaths of dozens of suspected illegal miners while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State.
Yesufu raised the concerns on social media on Friday following reports that at least 37 detainees had died at an NSCDC facility in Minna.
The victims were among suspected illegal miners arrested during enforcement operations in Niger State on September 15 and 16. The NSCDC has since launched an investigation into the deaths.
Reacting to the development, Yesufu questioned how people arrested over alleged illegal mining activities could die while being held by a government security agency.
“How did you arrest young people mining and almost 40 die in your custody? How?!” she wrote.
Yesufu also referred to accounts from survivors, saying the descriptions of what happened had raised questions about whether the deaths were accidental.
“From what survivors are recounting, it is not looking accidental!” she added.
Survivors interviewed after the incident reportedly described severe overcrowding and inadequate ventilation inside the detention facility. One survivor told journalists that detainees were packed into the cells and struggled to breathe.
However, the NSCDC has said the cause of the deaths has not been established. The Niger State command had initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, but the national headquarters said that explanation remained subject to medical and laboratory confirmation.
The deaths have triggered calls for an investigation. The Federal Government has also ordered a probe into the circumstances surrounding the incident, while the Niger State NSCDC commandant, Suberu Aniviye, was suspended.
Yesufu, while reacting to the incident, also criticised the government’s handling of citizens in custody and said the situation could further deepen public distrust of state institutions.
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Investigations are expected to establish the cause of the deaths and determine the circumstances under which the detainees died.