A survivor of the deaths of 37 suspected illegal gold miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has alleged that overcrowding, intense heat and an unidentified substance preceded the tragedy.
The survivor, whose identity was not disclosed, said detainees were packed into a small cell in Niger State, with the number increasing after additional suspects were brought into the room.
He said 17 people were initially locked inside the room before more detainees were added.
“They locked us in a very small room. We were 17 in number, then they added more people, and we started complaining that the room was small,” he said.
According to the survivor, the detainees complained about the size of the room and the worsening heat but remained confined inside.
He further alleged that an unidentified substance was sprayed into the room shortly before the cell was locked.
“As they were about to lock the room, they sprayed something that looked like perfume, and the smell started disturbing everyone in the room,” he said.
The survivor’s account raises questions about the conditions in which the detainees were held before the deaths.
It was not immediately clear what the substance allegedly sprayed inside the room was, who sprayed it or whether it contributed to the deaths.
The account also requires verification by investigators, particularly through forensic examination, medical records, autopsy findings and statements from other survivors and officials involved in the detention.
The deaths have triggered demands for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the detention and the subsequent fatalities.
The Federal Government has ordered an investigation into the deaths, while authorities are expected to establish what happened inside the detention facility and whether any officials breached established procedures.
The NSCDC has yet to publicly establish, based on the survivor’s account, what substance was allegedly sprayed in the cell or whether overcrowding contributed to the deaths.
The survivor’s testimony could therefore form part of the evidence investigators examine as they reconstruct the events leading to the deaths.
The incident has also raised broader concerns over the treatment of detainees in custodial facilities and the responsibility of security agencies to provide safe and humane conditions for people in their custody.
Until the investigation is concluded, the survivor’s account remains an allegation and does not by itself establish the cause of death of the 37 detainees.