They sprayed us something in the cell — Survivor of Niger miners’ deaths recounts
Survivors of the incident that resulted in the deaths of 37 suspected illegal gold miners in Nigeria’s custody have described their experiences while detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
One survivor recounted that 17 individuals were initially confined to a small room before additional detainees were added. He noted that complaints about the cramped conditions and oppressive heat were made, but the detainees remained confined.
“They locked us in a very small room. We were 17 in number, and then they added more people. We started complaining that the room was too small,” he stated.
The situation reportedly deteriorated further when detainees were ordered to stand as the room was being secured. The survivor also alleged that an unidentified substance, resembling perfume, was sprayed inside the room shortly before it was locked.
“As they were about to lock the room, they sprayed something that looked like perfume, and the smell began to disturb everyone inside,” he said.
