37 miners found dead in Nigeria detention cell

Thirty-seven young men were found dead in a Nigerian paramilitary civil defence force holding cell after being arrested on suspicion of illegal goldmining, prompting families to demand justice and the government to appoint an independent investigation panel.

The men were found dead on Thursday inside a crowded cell in Minna, the capital of central Niger state, after their arrest by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, or NSCDC.

Survivors said they had been packed into a poorly ventilated cell. One survivor said a substance that stung their throats and noses was sprayed into the cell before the door was shut, and survivors said calls for help were ignored.

The deaths triggered protests in Minna. Police fired shots to disperse protesters, but it was not clear whether they used anti-riot pellets or live ammunition. Allamin Adamu, 24, said from his hospital bed that he was shot while returning from the funeral of one of the miners.

Adamu Idris, 27, whose brother was among the dead, told AFP he expected the government “to give us justice”. Musa Aliyu, 52, who lost two sons in detention, said the deaths should be thoroughly investigated.

President Bola Tinubu on Friday ordered an urgent, “full and transparent investigation” and said he would not tolerate deaths caused by “official negligence, abuse, dereliction of duty”.

Nigeria's interior ministry said Saturday that the 10-member panel includes a retired senior state intelligence officer, a medical expert, a human rights activist and a miners' association representative. It has two weeks to complete its investigation and submit a report.

Twenty NSCDC officers and guards involved in the arrests and detention, as well as their boss, have been suspended.

Niger state is rich in minerals and attracts thousands of artisanal miners, many of them hoping to find gold.