Something is not adding up in the investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected miners in NSCDC custody in Niger State.
A survivor said approximately 65 detainees were packed inside one poorly ventilated cell. According to him, they struggled to breathe and banged on the door to get the attention of security personnel.
But Governor Umaru Bago gave another account. He said about 67 people were arrested and distributed across three cells. According to him, nobody died in the first two cells, while 37 people died in the overcrowded third cell. Even the governor questioned whether the reported arrest figure was accurate.
So how many people were actually inside the cell where the 37 deaths occurred? Were there detainees already in custody before the miners arrived? What do the original detention records show?
There is also the autopsy issue. Reports that the victims had already been buried raised concerns about the investigation. The governor later said medical samples were collected before some bodies were released, while others remained in the mortuary for further examinations.
Meanwhile, 21 NSCDC officers have been suspended, and a 10-member committee has been given two weeks to investigate. The actual cause of death has still not been conclusively established.
My question is this: If 37 people died inside a government detention facility, shouldn't the authorities be able to establish exactly how many people were held there, when they entered and what happened before the deaths?
What specific evidence would convince you that this investigation has properly established what happened?
Full details: https://veritapost.com/security/37-miners-nscdc-custody-cell-count-autopsy-investigation
