By Ado Oyeyemi
A survivor of the illegal mining tragedy in Niger State has alleged that some officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps sprayed an unidentified substance inside a cell where miners were being detained.
The survivor made the allegation when the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, visited some of the surviving miners being held by the Department of State Services.
A video of the minister’s interaction with the survivors was shared on X by @NigAffairs.
Recounting what happened, the survivor said 17 miners were initially kept in a small room before eight others were brought in, despite complaints that the facility was overcrowded.
He said the miners were later transferred to a cell, where they were locked up in what he described as a very hot environment.
According to him, the officials subsequently sprayed an unidentified substance inside the cell, after which some of the miners began collapsing.
“They later took us to the cell. It was very hot there, and they locked us inside. They then started spraying something. After that, some people started falling down,” the survivor alleged.
He added that some of those trapped inside remained conscious and reportedly informed the officials that people were dying, but their pleas were allegedly ignored.
“I did not know what the substance was, but after they sprayed it, people started falling down. That was what happened to us,” he said.
The survivor further alleged that the incident occurred after the miners had been arrested and taken into custody.
Tunji-Ojo’s visit was part of efforts to establish what transpired during the incident and hear firsthand accounts from those who survived the tragedy.
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The allegation comes amid public concern over the deaths of miners following their detention by security personnel in connection with illegal mining activities in Niger State.
