Niger Mining Tragedy: Survivor Alleges Substance Was Sprayed Inside Crowded Cell

By Sabiu Abdullahi

A survivor of the incident that reportedly claimed the lives of 37 suspected illegal gold miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has recounted what he described as distressing conditions inside the detention facility.

The survivor said several detainees were confined in a small room before more people were brought into the cell.

According to him, 17 people were initially locked inside the room. He said the detainees later complained about the limited space and excessive heat after additional people were brought in.

“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.

He said the situation became more difficult when the detainees were instructed to stand as the room was about to be locked.

The survivor also alleged that an unidentified substance was sprayed inside the room. He said the substance appeared to him to resemble perfume and that its smell began to cause discomfort among those 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 account comes amid growing concerns over the deaths of the suspected miners while in NSCDC custody.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths have prompted calls for a thorough investigation into what happened to the detainees and the conditions under which they were held.

The survivor’s account represents his description of events inside the cell. Further investigation would be required to independently establish the nature of the substance allegedly sprayed and whether it had any connection to the deaths.