The cause of death of 37 suspected illegal miners in Niger State may depend on forensic and laboratory tests ordered after unusual signs were found on some of the bodies.
Governor Umar Bago disclosed the development on Friday as he addressed Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. He said the state and Federal Government were working together to test mining sites and examine the deaths.
Bago said initial checks at the hospital and mortuary found foam around the mouths of some victims, bloodstains and peeled skin.
He said those findings meant possible poisoning could not yet be ruled out, naming methane, cyanide and lead as substances requiring examination.
“We don’t know the real causes of this . . . some of the people that survived have claimed that it’s suffocation and dehydration.
On the surface, the forensic review from the hospital and mortuary indicated some of these corpses had foams in their mouth with bloodstains, and also some of their skins were peeled. So we cannot rule out methane or cyanide or lead poisoning in these. However, there is need for a proper investigation to the root cause of this,” he said.
The victims were among suspected illegal miners arrested during enforcement operations around the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis on 15 and 16 September.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) confirmed that several suspects died in its custody. The Corps has disputed any established cause of death and said medical examination would determine what happened.
Bodies sent for medical examination
The NSCDC said the remains were deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for medical examination and determination of the actual cause of death.
Its National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commandant Babawale Afolabi, said the Commandant General, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, ordered a high-powered investigation into the deaths.
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The investigative team is led by the Deputy Commandant General in charge of Intelligence and Investigation.
The investigation will examine the condition of the suspects when they were arrested, the time they spent in custody, their detention conditions and the medical care they received.
The Corps initially said the detainees were found dead in the early hours of 17 September after a suspected disease outbreak. Its national headquarters later said any claim tying the deaths to a particular disease had not been medically or scientifically established.
“The NSCDC wishes to clarify that reports attributing the deaths to any specific disease remain subject to medical and laboratory confirmation,” Afolabi said.
“The Corps will therefore refrain from speculation until the outcome of the medical examination is established.”
Bago said the state had also sent a committee and teams to conduct laboratory tests, as authorities seek evidence that can establish the cause of death.
The governor said there were two possible lines of inquiry from the information available to him. One concerns the conditions in which the detainees were held, and the other concerns possible exposure to toxic substances.
He said 67 people were arrested and detained in Civil Defence cells, adding that some survivors claimed suffocation and dehydration.
Bago also said officers had allegedly failed to respond after detainees screamed that they were dying. He thanked the Civil Defence leadership for suspending the former state comptroller who ordered the arrests.
Allegations await investigation
According to a report by Sahara Reporters, witnesses alleged that some of the detainees were beaten and physically assaulted before their deaths.
The report named one witness, Ibrahim Adamu, who said he saw bodies being brought outside the NSCDC premises.
“This is about the killing of over 37 innocent citizens,” he said.
Also, wnother source alleged that he saw detainees being beaten with heavy sticks and iron. The source said his brother’s body was still with the Civil Defence at the time he spoke.
The allegations have not been established by the forensic examination ordered by the authorities.
The NSCDC said its investigation would cover the medical attention given to the detainees and other circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The Corps also directed that the health and welfare of people currently in its custody receive priority. It said measures were being taken to protect personnel who may have had contact with the affected persons.
Bago also announced that all mining activities in Niger State, both legal and illegal, had been suspended. He said state and Federal Government authorities would subject mining sites to tests.
The governor said many of the deceased were aged between 14 and 18, describing the deaths as a serious issue involving young people.
He also linked the incident to protests and destruction reported in Minna, including damage to buses belonging to the state transport company, party offices and private businesses.
“The state transport company, all the buses we have there have been vandalised. Party offices destroyed, people’s businesses destroyed. Vandals are taking over the street. And there is need for us to, you know, curtail this so that we can have calm. We call on Nigerites, please, to exercise restraint. Be patient.”
A 24-hour curfew was imposed after Friday prayers, Bago said, as security agencies worked to restore order.
The NSCDC has promised that the circumstances surrounding the deaths will be investigated and addressed based on established facts.
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