A nine-year-old boy who survived detention at a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) facility in Minna, Niger State, has alleged that security personnel ignored detainees’ pleas for water and fresh air as people reportedly died inside the cell.
The boy, identified as Khalid, also alleged that NSCDC personnel refused to release some detainees after their parents arrived and sought their bail.
Khalid spoke about his experience with SaharaReporters with the consent of his parents, saying he was arrested alongside other people at a mining site behind the Peoples Democratic Party secretariat around the M.I. Wushishi Housing Estate in Minna.
He said the group fled when NSCDC personnel arrived at the mining site but were later intercepted around Tunga Junction.
According to him, the detainees spent a night in custody before their parents became aware of their arrest.
Khalid alleged that when the parents arrived and attempted to secure their release, security personnel refused to grant them access to the detainees.
He said more people were later brought into the already crowded and dark cell, making the conditions more difficult.
The nine-year-old alleged that an unidentified substance was subsequently sprayed into the cell through holes from outside.
He said detainees began experiencing intense heat and itching after the substance was sprayed, while some people reportedly started collapsing and dying.
“We told them that people were dying and they said, ‘It is none of our business,’” Khalid alleged.
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He further claimed that detainees pleaded for water to drink and use on those who were dying, but their requests were allegedly rejected.
The boy also said the detainees begged officers to open one of the two doors leading into the cell to allow air inside, but the request was allegedly refused.
The account comes amid an investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in NSCDC custody in Minna.
The victims were among scores of people arrested during NSCDC operations against suspected illegal mining around the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Minna on September 15 and 16, 2026.
Niger State Governor Umar Bago said 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners had been detained at the NSCDC facility before 37 of them died.
The NSCDC initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak but later stated that the actual cause had not been established and would be determined through medical and laboratory examinations.
The deaths have triggered public concern and calls for an independent investigation.
President Bola Tinubu subsequently directed a comprehensive investigation, while Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo constituted a 10-member independent committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The NSCDC also suspended its Niger State Commandant and other officers linked to the incident.
The independent committee has commenced its investigation and is expected to visit relevant locations and speak with survivors, detainees and others who may have information about the incident.
Other survivors have similarly alleged that an unidentified substance was sprayed into the overcrowded cell shortly before detainees began collapsing.
However, the cause of the 37 deaths has not been publicly established, and there is currently no publicly established forensic evidence confirming that the alleged substance caused the deaths.
The ongoing investigation is expected to determine the cause of the deaths, what occurred inside the detention facility and whether any officials bear responsibility.
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