Niger miners’ deaths: Shehu Sani warns of overcrowded cell dangers

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A former Kaduna Central lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has recalled his experience in detention while reacting to the deaths of suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State.

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Sani, who was imprisoned by the late Gen. Sani Abacha military regime and spent time in detention between 1995 and 1998, said his experience had shown him the dangers of overcrowded cells.n

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In a post on his X handle on Sunday, Sani said he could relate to the accounts emerging from the NSCDC detention facility in Minna, where 37 suspected illegal miners died in custody.

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He wrote, “For those of us who have experienced prolonged detention in a crowded cell, we know the cruelty of the dungeon – the darkness, the asphyxiation, the sweat, the pungent odour, and the tears.

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“When the heat becomes unbearable, one can only use a spoon or a plate to bang on the wall for some oxygen. If they refuse to open up for a temporary breeze of fresh air, blood can ooze from the nostrils, and then one can only shout and give up.

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“A congested cell is hell on earth. It is a place where bringing your nose close to the window to breathe is a rare privilege reserved for the strong.

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“I can feel what happened to the Niger minors. Those who are directly or indirectly involved in this must face the full wrath of the law for the rest of their lives.”

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PUNCH reported that 37 suspected illegal miners died while in NSCDC custody in Minna after they were arrested during operations against illegal mining in Niger State on September 15 and 16.

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Survivors told PUNCH that about 65 detainees had been held in an overcrowded and poorly ventilated cell and that some struggled for air before several of them died.

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However, the cause of the deaths remains under investigation. While the NSCDC initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, survivors alleged that overcrowding, heat, poor ventilation and dehydration contributed to the deaths.

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The Niger State Government has also ordered forensic examinations and autopsies, while the Federal Government, the NSCDC and the police are investigating the incident.

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The Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, was suspended pending the outcome of the investigations. Other NSCDC personnel involved in the incident were also detained in Abuja, according to PUNCH.

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Sani has previously spoken publicly about his own experience of incarceration.

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In November 2025, he said he had spent time in Kiri Kiri and Port Harcourt prisons before serving what he described as his “life imprisonment” in Aba Prisons, Abia State.

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He said at the time, “I served my own life imprisonment in Aba Prisons, Abia State, after spending a year in Kiri Kiri and Port Harcourt prisons.”

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Sani was convicted and sentenced by the Abacha military junta and was released following the restoration of democratic rule in 1999.

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