Probe Panel Blames Overcrowding, Heat For Deaths Of 33 Miners In NSCDC Custody

A Federal Government investigative panel has attributed the deaths of 33 miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, to overcrowding, extreme heat, dehydration and poor detention conditions.

The panel also identified failure of duty of care and inadequate supervision as contributing factors to the deaths.

Chairman of the committee, Jonathan Kure, disclosed the findings on Tuesday in Abuja while presenting an executive summary of the investigation to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

Kure said the fatalities resulted from environmental asphyxia caused by prolonged confinement in an overcrowded cell, compounded by heat stress and dehydration.

The findings raise concerns about the conditions under which the suspects were detained and the extent to which established procedures for the custody of detainees were followed.

The committee also discovered that the operation leading to the arrest of the miners was conducted without an operational order or approval from the NSCDC national headquarters.

The revelation points to possible procedural lapses in the conduct of the operation that preceded the deaths.

The Federal Government had constituted the investigative panel to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine the factors responsible for the incident.

The panel’s findings are expected to inform further action regarding the detention conditions, supervision of suspects and compliance with operational procedures within the corps.

The deaths of the 33 miners have drawn attention to the responsibility of security agencies to ensure the safety and welfare of people in their custody.