Hafsat Saidu, mother of one of the suspected illegal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State, has alleged that she was previously detained by the corps for five days and forced to pay ₦45,000 before her release.
Saidu made the allegation in an interview with TheCable, following the deaths of several suspected illegal miners detained by the NSCDC in Minna, the Niger State capital.
The NSCDC had said the suspects were arrested during operations conducted on September 15 and 16 around the Lt. Gen. Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate. The corps later reported that scores of the detainees were found dead in the early hours of Thursday in what it described as a suspected disease outbreak.
Following the incident, the Federal Government suspended the Niger State NSCDC Commandant and ordered a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Recounting her own experience, Saidu said NSCDC personnel arrested her at a mining site after workers fled when officers arrived. She alleged that despite appeals for her release, she remained in detention for five days before a senior officer eventually approved her release after payment.
According to her, she and another woman detained alongside her were made to pay a combined ₦45,000.
Saidu alleged that an officer demanded ₦10,000 for her bail and another ₦5,000 to verify her residence, while the other woman was allegedly required to pay ₦10,000.
> “In total, they extorted N45,000 from us before they finally released me,” she said.
She added that the gold found in her possession at the time was worth only ₦3,900.
The grieving mother also alleged that the detention conditions were unhygienic, claiming that detainees slept in an area where they also urinated. She said her children had to bring food to her during the five days she spent in custody.
Saidu further alleged that some of her children were among those arrested during the recent NSCDC operation and that only one survived.
She said relatives were informed of the deaths after they went to the facility to deliver food to the detained miners.
The mother also disputed suggestions that the deaths were caused by chemicals at the mining site. According to her, her son told her before his death that a substance resembling mosquito spray had been released inside the NSCDC cell before the detainees were locked inside.
> “My son said they sprayed something resembling mosquito spray, and immediately after spraying it, they locked the cell door,” she alleged.
The allegations have not been independently established, while the precise cause of the detainees’ deaths remains subject to investigation.
The Federal Government’s inquiry is expected to establish what happened to the detainees, the circumstances surrounding their deaths and whether any officials or other persons should be held accountable.
The case has also renewed scrutiny of the treatment of suspects in detention and allegations of unlawful payments demanded from detainees and their families.
