By Sunday Ameh
A surviving miner has alleged that a substance was sprayed inside a detention cell while he and other suspected illegal miners were in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
The miner made the allegation while recounting his experience in custody during a visit to the state by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
According to him, the detainees were locked inside a cell before an unidentified substance was allegedly sprayed into the facility.
He claimed that shortly after the substance was released, some of those inside the cell began experiencing difficulties and collapsing.
“They sprayed something inside the cell after locking us in, and people began collapsing,” the miner recounted.
The allegation comes amid concerns over the treatment of suspected illegal miners detained by security agencies in Niger State.
The survivor did not identify the substance allegedly sprayed in the cell or provide further details on who authorised or carried out the action.
It was also unclear from the account how many detainees were affected or whether the alleged incident resulted in deaths or serious injuries.
The NSCDC and other relevant authorities have yet to publicly respond to the specific allegation contained in the survivor’s account.
The claim is expected to form part of growing calls for clarification over the circumstances surrounding the deaths and treatment of suspected illegal miners in security custody.
Further investigation would be required to establish what happened inside the cell, the identity of the substance allegedly used and the circumstances that led to the reported collapse of the detainees.
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