Niger Probes Deaths of 37 Miners in NSCDC Custody as Commandant Is Suspended

Nigerian authorities are investigating the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State.

The Niger State Government has constituted a committee of inquiry, while the Niger State NSCDC commandant has been suspended pending investigation.

The cause of the deaths has not been established. The NSCDC initially raised the possibility of a disease outbreak, while survivors have described overcrowded and poorly ventilated detention conditions. Those accounts remain subject to investigation.

KOKO will continue to follow the investigation and update this story as verified findings emerge.