A federal investigative report has revealed disturbing details surrounding the deaths of 33 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State, including accounts that some detainees drank urine and sweat because they had no access to drinking water.
The findings were contained in a report submitted by an Independent Investigation Committee established by the Federal Ministry of Interior to investigate the incident, which occurred at the Niger State NSCDC Command in September 2026.
According to the report, the detainees were held under extremely harsh conditions, characterized by overcrowding, excessive heat, poor ventilation, lack of running water and a non-functional toilet.
The committee, led by Jonathan Kure, confirmed that 33 detainees died inside the male detention cell between 8 p.m. on September 16 and 7 a.m. on September 17, 2026. Among the deceased were 14 minors, while 41 detainees survived.
The investigation established that approximately 50 male detainees, including children, were confined in a cell measuring about 12 square meters.
The facility reportedly had a solid metal door, inadequate ventilation and no running water. Its toilet was also not functioning, leaving detainees without basic sanitary facilities.
Survivors reportedly described experiencing extreme heat, intense thirst, breathing difficulties and severe dehydration while struggling to find space inside the overcrowded cell.
The report further disclosed that some detainees resorted to drinking their urine or sweat to survive because drinking water was unavailable.
Conditions in the female detention cell were also inadequate, as detainees reportedly depended on relatives to bring drinking water. The committee additionally found that relatives were prevented from bringing food to detainees on September 16.
The committee's findings indicated that warning signs emerged several hours before the deaths occurred.
An NSCDC medical personnel, Mariam Nelson, reportedly told the investigation that she warned the cell guards, Usman Ndamaka and Hassan Mohammed, about the dangers of overcrowding on the evening of September 16.
She allegedly advised them to leave the metal door unlocked to improve ventilation and reduce the risk of suffocation. However, the warning was reportedly ignored.
By approximately 7:15 p.m., detainees had begun experiencing eye irritation, burning throats, difficulty breathing, excessive sweating and intense thirst.
They subsequently started shouting for assistance and repeatedly banging on the cell door and walls.
An armoury guard, Ahmed Abubakar Wushishi, reportedly told the committee that he heard persistent screams and banging between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. on September 17.
He said he urged the night guard to open the cell, but the request was rejected because of an earlier instruction not to open the door without armed backup.
The report also stated that the superior officer, Ndamaka, failed to respond to an emergency call placed at about 10:37 p.m. on September 16. He reportedly returned the call around 6 a.m. and arrived at the facility at approximately 7 a.m., when the cell was eventually opened and the bodies discovered.
Another disturbing revelation in the investigation was that 14 of the 33 deceased detainees were minors.
The committee also identified four children below the age of 14 who had been recorded during profiling but were subsequently placed in adult detention cells.
The profiling officer, Abubakar Dabban, reportedly admitted that he recorded the children as minors but processed them into the adult detention facility.
The committee described the action as a violation of children's rights and applicable child-protection requirements.
The incident has raised serious concerns about the treatment of minors in security custody and the enforcement of Nigeria's child-protection laws.
The committee attributed the deaths to acute hypoxic respiratory failure, also known as environmental asphyxia, aggravated by heat stress and dehydration.
It explained that the immediate cause was a lack of oxygen, while contributing factors included overcrowding, inadequate detention infrastructure, failure of duty of care and the absence of proper emergency medical intervention.
However, the medical findings were based on post-mortem examinations conducted on only three bodies because the remaining 30 had already been buried before the medical team arrived.
The investigation also rejected the suggestion that a disease outbreak caused the deaths, stating that available medical and forensic evidence did not support that explanation.
The committee recommended the prosecution of officers found culpable, including for possible offences such as murder, criminal negligence, torture and inhuman treatment, where applicable.
The deaths highlight serious concerns about human rights, accountability and the responsibility of security agencies to protect individuals in their custody.
Under Nigerian law, every detainee is entitled to dignity and humane treatment, regardless of the allegations against them.
The involvement of 14 minors makes the incident particularly troubling and raises questions about the enforcement of child-protection standards within security facilities.
The findings also reinforce the need for improved detention infrastructure, proper supervision, access to healthcare and effective emergency response systems across Nigeria's security institutions.