33 Niger Illegal Mining Suspects Died In NSCDC Cell After Drinking Urine And Sweat, Investigation Reveals
What should have been a place where people were kept safely while awaiting investigation turned into a death trap for dozens of detainees in Niger State.
Inside a cramped detention cell belonging to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, men and children reportedly struggled to breathe, battled extreme heat and desperately searched for drinking water. As their condition deteriorated, some became so desperate that they resorted to drinking urine and sweat just to survive.
But despite their cries for help and repeated warnings about the dangerous conditions inside the facility, assistance did not come in time.
By the time the cell was eventually opened, 33 detainees were dead.
A new investigation by an independent committee set up by the Federal Ministry of Interior has now uncovered disturbing details about the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, including claims that officers ignored warnings about overcrowding and the possibility of suffocation.
According to the report, the deaths occurred inside the male detention cell at the Niger State NSCDC Command between 8 p.m. on September 16 and 7 a.m. on September 17.
The 10-member committee, led by Jonathan Kure, confirmed that 33 detainees lost their lives during that period, while another 41 survived.
Even more disturbing was the discovery that 14 of those who died were minors.
The committee's findings painted a picture of a detention facility where basic necessities, including access to clean drinking water and a functioning toilet, were unavailable.
Approximately 50 male detainees, including children, had been packed into a cell measuring just about 12 square metres.
The room had a solid metal door and inadequate ventilation. With so many people confined in such a small space, movement was severely restricted.
There was no running water, and the toilet inside the cell was not working.
Survivors reportedly described how the heat became unbearable as the hours passed. Thirst intensified, breathing became increasingly difficult, and some detainees began experiencing serious physical distress.
With no drinking water available, some resorted to consuming their own urine or sweat.
However, the committee's investigation suggests that the disaster did not happen without warning.
The warning that reportedly went unheeded
One of the most troubling discoveries concerned what happened several hours before the deaths.
Mariam Nelson, a member of the NSCDC medical unit, told the committee that she became concerned about the number of people locked inside the male cell.
On the evening of September 16, she reportedly warned two officers responsible for guarding the facility, Usman Ndamaka and Hassan Mohammed, that the overcrowding could lead to suffocation.
She also advised them to leave the metal door unlocked to allow better ventilation.
But according to her testimony, the warning was ignored.
By approximately 7:15 p.m., detainees were already showing signs of serious distress.
The investigation documented complaints of irritated eyes, burning sensations in their throats, difficulty breathing, excessive sweating and intense thirst.
As their condition worsened, they began shouting and banging on the cell door and walls, pleading for someone to come to their assistance.
But what happened later that night would become one of the most disturbing parts of the investigation.
The screams that stopped in the middle of the night
An armoury guard identified as Ahmed Abubakar Wushishi told the committee that he heard persistent screams and banging coming from the detention cell between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. on September 17.
Concerned by the noise, he approached the night guard, Hassan Mohammed, and reportedly urged him to open the cell.
But Mohammed refused.
He explained that he had been instructed by his superior, Usman Ndamaka, not to unlock the door without armed backup because the detainees might be planning an escape.
According to Wushishi's account, the sounds coming from the cell eventually stopped at approximately 2:30 a.m.
That silence would later take on a devastating meaning.
Ndamaka reportedly admitted during the investigation that he had instructed the night guard not to open the cell without armed personnel present.
He also acknowledged receiving an emergency call from Mohammed at about 10:37 p.m. on September 16 but said he did not respond because he was asleep.
He eventually returned the call around 6 a.m.
By approximately 7 a.m., he arrived at the facility, and the cell was opened.
That was when the bodies were discovered.
The committee established that all 33 deaths occurred within the male detention cell during the period under investigation.
Four children under 14 were placed in adult cells
Beyond the overcrowding and the failure to respond to the emergency, investigators uncovered another serious violation involving children who had been detained alongside adults.
The report established that 14 of the deceased detainees were minors.
More disturbing still, four children below the age of 14 had been identified during the profiling exercise but were nevertheless processed into adult detention cells.
The profiling officer, Abubakar Dabban, reportedly admitted that he recorded the four children but still placed them in the adult facility.
The committee said this violated applicable child-protection requirements and the rights of minors.
It also condemned the practice of keeping children and adults together under the extremely overcrowded conditions found at the facility.
The female detention cell was not much better
Although the investigation focused heavily on the deaths inside the male cell, the committee also examined the conditions in the female detention section.
Its findings showed that detainees there equally faced serious difficulties.
There was no regular supply of drinking water, and the women depended on relatives to bring water for them.
The toilet was also not functioning properly, although detainees could use it when water was fetched from outside.
The report further disclosed that relatives were prevented from bringing food to detainees on Wednesday, September 16.
These findings raised additional concerns about the general conditions under which people were being held at the NSCDC facility.
What actually killed the 33 detainees?
After examining the available medical and forensic evidence, the committee identified acute hypoxic respiratory failure, also known as environmental asphyxia, as the cause of death.
In simple terms, the detainees died because their bodies were deprived of sufficient oxygen.
The report explained that extreme heat and dehydration worsened the situation.
However, there was an important limitation to the medical investigation.
Only three bodies were available for post-mortem examinations when the medical team arrived. The remaining 30 had already been buried.
Consequently, the medical conclusion was based on examinations conducted on those three bodies.
The committee rejected suggestions that a disease outbreak was responsible for the mass deaths, explaining that the available medical and forensic findings did not support such a conclusion.
Instead, investigators identified several failures that contributed to the tragedy.
These included the failure of NSCDC personnel to provide proper care for detainees, the deplorable condition of the detention infrastructure, inadequate emergency medical arrangements and poor institutional supervision.
Committee recommends prosecution of responsible officers
Having examined the circumstances surrounding the deaths, the independent investigation committee recommended that officers found responsible should face prosecution.
The proposed offences include murder, criminal negligence, torture and inhuman treatment, depending on the evidence established against each individual.
The recommendation places serious attention on the actions and decisions of the personnel responsible for supervising the detention facility, particularly the handling of warnings, emergency calls and requests for assistance from inside the cell.
For the 33 people who died, including 14 children, the investigation has now raised fundamental questions about how people entrusted to the custody of a government security agency could lose their lives under such conditions.
They entered the facility as detainees.
But according to the committee's findings, they were left in an overcrowded room without drinking water, adequate ventilation or a functioning toilet.
And while people inside desperately cried for help, those responsible for responding to the emergency failed to open the door in time.
The investigation has now recommended prosecution. The next crucial question is whether those found responsible will actually face justice for the 33 deaths.
(Source: Vanguard Newspapers)
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