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Nigerian police probe death in custody of 37 illegal mining suspects
Al Jazeera • • world
Key Points:
- Nigerian police are investigating the deaths of 37 detainees arrested for illegal mining, with officials initially attributing the fatalities to a disease outbreak.
- An intelligence report and survivor testimony suggest overcrowding and poor ventilation in the detention facility may have caused suffocation among the detainees.
- The detainees were held in a cramped, poorly ventilated cell after being arrested during anti-illegal mining operations in Niger State, a region known for small-scale gold mining.
- Authorities have sent the bodies for further medical examination to determine the exact cause of death, while survivors and relatives are being encouraged to provide information.
- Niger State has declared three days of mourning, and protests erupted following the deaths, leading to police using tear gas; the NSCDC commander has reportedly been suspended.
