The Nigerian government has established a panel to investigate the deaths of 37 young men who died while in detention on suspicion of illegal gold mining. The men were arrested by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and held in a crowded cell in Minna, the capital of central Niger state. The incident has sparked widespread outrage and calls for justice.
According to survivors, the men were crammed into the cell with poor ventilation, and one described a substance being sprayed into the cell that stung their throats and noses before the door was slammed shut. Their calls for help were reportedly ignored. The NSCDC initially blamed the deaths on an outbreak of disease, but the government has launched a thorough investigation into the incident.
The panel, which includes a retired senior state intelligence officer, a medical expert, a human rights activist, and a miners' association representative, has been given two weeks to finalize its investigations and submit a report. The report is expected to determine responsibility, complicity, negligence, and misconduct. Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo announced the panel's establishment on Saturday.
In response to the incident, 20 NSCDC officers and guards involved in the arrests and detention of the miners have been suspended. Their boss was suspended on Friday, after President Bola Tinubu ordered an urgent, full, and transparent investigation into the deaths. The President stated that he would not tolerate deaths caused by official negligence, abuse, or dereliction of duty.
The incident has sparked protests in Minna and among informal miners, with several cars vandalized and videos showing armed police officers opening fire in the streets. Amnesty International has condemned the use of lethal force on protesters, noting that at least two persons were reportedly killed. The organization has also called for an independent inquiry into the 37 deaths.
Amnesty International's director in Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, has expressed outrage over the incident, stating that the tragedy could have been avoided and that the situation was poorly handled. Sanusi emphasized that the victims were young people, most of whom had not even reached adulthood, and that they should have been arrested and detained in accordance with the law.
In a separate incident, at least 49 people have died and 182 have fallen sick after consuming a locally brewed mixture suspected to contain methanol in Nigeria's southwestern Ondo state. Authorities have arrested 15 people in connection with the production and sale of the drink, known as "Monkey Tail". The incident has raised concerns about the safety of locally produced alcohol in Nigeria.
Key points
- The Nigerian government has launched an investigation into the deaths of 37 miners held in detention on suspicion of illegal gold mining.
- The incident has sparked protests and calls for justice, with Amnesty International condemning the use of lethal force on protesters.
- A separate incident has resulted in 49 deaths and 182 illnesses after people consumed a locally brewed mixture suspected to contain methanol.
