NIGER GOV QUESTIONS NUMBER OF MINERS ARRESTED BEFORE 37 DEATHS

Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has questioned the circumstances surrounding the detention of suspected illegal miners after 37 detainees died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna.
Bago disclosed that 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners had been detained in the facility before the deaths occurred. The suspects were arrested during NSCDC operations targeting illegal mining activities in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state on September 15 and 16.
The governor said the actual cause of the deaths had not yet been established, but raised concerns about the number of people held in the detention facility. He said investigators were considering the possibility of suffocation caused by overcrowding or exposure to hazardous substances and poisonous chemicals associated with mining activities.
The NSCDC had initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, but authorities have stressed that the cause remains unconfirmed. Medical, forensic and autopsy examinations have been ordered to determine what happened.
Bago has constituted a committee of inquiry, while the police, NSCDC and other security agencies are also investigating the incident. The Niger State NSCDC commandant and members of his team have been suspended to allow for a proper investigation.
The governor appealed for calm as investigations continue and said the government would work to establish the identities of the deceased and contact their families. He also ordered the suspension of mining activities at the affected site pending the conclusion of investigations.