Dead Miners: Some Victims Buried, Others in Mortuary, Says Niger Gov

Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has confirmed that some of the 37 suspected illegal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have been buried.

Bago made the clarification while speaking on TVC’s Beyond The Headlines with Nifemi Oguntoye, amid concerns over the burial of some of the deceased before the completion of investigations into the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

The governor explained that those identified as Muslims were released for burial after medical samples had been collected from their bodies, while other bodies remained at the mortuary for further examination and autopsies.

Read Also: Atiku, ADC Demand Transparent Probe Into Death Of 37 Illegal Miners In NSCDC Custody

He said, “Initially when the corps were provided, taken to the hospital and deposited at the mortuary, nobody knew who they were, it was later that parents began to complain that they haven’t seen their wards that the news broke out that a lot of people have died in the custody of the NSCDC, and those that survived called their families and on getting there they realized that their wards and children had died, and that raised pandemonium.”

Bago said the state medical team had already collected samples from the deceased to assist investigations into the cause of the deaths.

“The medical team of Niger State have already taken samples of all those that has symptoms of poison or whatever, and those that are not Muslims amongst them are still in the mortuary and autopsy’s are being done upon them.

“Before those people were released, samples of their skin, sputum and other samples were taken by the medical team for analysis, and the DSS is part of the team who are doing this job.”

The governor’s comments come as authorities continue investigations into the deaths of the suspected illegal miners, who were detained following enforcement operations against illegal mining activities in Niger State.

Bago had confirmed that 37 people died in NSCDC custody and declared three days of mourning, while the Federal Government and security agencies have ordered investigations into the incident.