NSCDC Custody Leads to Death of 37 Miners in Niger State

At least 37 suspected illegal miners died shortly after their arrest by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for allegedly refusing to pay a bribe of N150,000 for each mining pit in Lokoto, Niger State. Survivors, including Dauda Shehu and Aminu Sale, described harrowing conditions in an overcrowded cell where 66 inmates were held.

They reported excessive heat and lack of water, leading them to drink their urine to survive. Despite their cries for help, NSCDC personnel reportedly ignored their pleas.

Shehu recounted how inmates began to die one after another, with some passing away during the night and others in the morning. Families of the deceased expressed distress, demanding the release of their loved ones' remains for burial, claiming the miners were merely trying to earn a living.

Appeals for justice were made by relatives, who insisted that the miners had committed no offense.