A survivor of the mass death that claimed the lives of 33 illegal gold miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State has alleged that an unidentified substance was sprayed inside an overcrowded cell shortly before detainees began collapsing.
37 illegal miners had been shoved into a tiny cell in minna.
According to Channels TV, the survivor, who spoke in Hausa during a televised address on Friday, told Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago and Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo that 17 people were initially locked inside a small room before more detainees were brought in, worsening the overcrowding and heat inside the cell.
“They locked us in a very small room. We were 17 in number, then they added more people, and we started complaining that the room was small,” he said.
According to the survivor, the detainees raised concerns about the size of the room and the heat but remained locked inside.
He said the situation deteriorated when the room was about to be secured, claiming that a substance resembling perfume was sprayed inside.
“As they were about to lock the room, they sprayed something that looked like perfume, and the smell started disturbing everyone in the room,” he said.
The survivor said the extreme conditions soon caused people to collapse, while those still conscious appealed for water.
“We pleaded with them to give us water, but they said no one would open the door for us,” he said.
He indicated that the ordeal continued into the night, although his account did not immediately provide further details of what happened afterwards.
Another survivor, who requested anonymity, said his position close to the entrance of the cell helped him survive because he had better access to air.
“We were screaming for help,” he said, adding that guards were told that “people are dying one after the other; they did not believe us”.
The accounts emerged on Friday as survivors recounted the conditions inside the NSCDC cell where the 37 suspected illegal gold miners died.