37 Nigerian Miners Die in Custody as Overcrowded Cell Sparks Protests
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 18
37 Nigerian Miners Die in Custody as Overcrowded Cell Sparks Protests
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 18
Summary
Thirty-seven miners arrested in Niger State were found dead in a detention cell on Thursday, and hundreds protested in Minna the next day over the deaths.
More than 60 detainees were packed into one poorly ventilated cell with little food or water, survivors said, contradicting the agency’s initial claim that a suspected disease caused the deaths.
One survivor, Dauda Shehu, said detainees banged on the door for help as people collapsed; 12 survivors were later taken to a hospital.
Governor Umar Bago said several officials, including the head of the arresting civil defense agency in the state, were suspended while an investigation proceeds.
The incident adds to a string of deadly small-scale mining disasters across Africa, where illegal or weakly regulated mines remain a major livelihood source.