By Reloaded News Desk
An investigation has been ordered into the deaths of dozens of people detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) following an operation against suspected illegal mining in Niger State.
It is reported that at least 33 bodies were found at the General Hospital in Minna after detainees arrested during raids on suspected illegal gold-mining sites in the Wushishi-Lukoto area died in custody.
The arrests took place between September 15 and 16.
The NSCDC initially indicated that a suspected disease outbreak could have been responsible for the deaths but later said the cause had not been established and would be determined through medical examinations.
The Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, ordered the immediate suspension of the Niger State NSCDC commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, pending a full investigation.
The deaths triggered protests in Minna, with residents demanding accountability. Security personnel were deployed across parts of the city after the demonstrations.
A separate report put the number of deaths at 37 and quoted a survivor who alleged that detainees had been held in an overcrowded and poorly ventilated cell. That account has not established the cause of death, which remains subject to investigation and medical examination.
The Niger State Government has also announced three days of mourning for the victims.
The incident has placed renewed attention on the enforcement of Nigeria’s campaign against illegal mining and on the conditions under which suspects are detained during security operations.
Authorities are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths, including the medical cause and conditions in which the detainees were held.
