At least 33 illegal mining suspects found dead in Nigerian custody, and officials suspect disease
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 33 suspects arrested for alleged illegal mining were found dead in Nigerian security custody on Thursday, officials said, pointing to a suspected disease outbreak in the area.
The detainees died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, or NSCDC, in north-central Niger state, its spokesman Abubakar Muti told The Associated Press.
They had been in detention since the security agency carried out arrests on Tuesday and Wednesday over suspicion of illegal mining in the state, head of the NSCDC in Niger Suberu Siyaka Aniviye said in a statement Thursday.
Aniviye said while the agency suspects a disease, the detainees’ bodies have been sent to a local hospital for “further medical examination to establish the actual cause of death." He did not elaborate on the type of disease.
Police in Niger state said they have launched an investigation and urged relatives of the victims to come forward with any information that could help.
Illegal mining remains a challenge in Nigeria.
Analysts have linked illegal mining activities in Nigeria’s north-central and northwest regions to armed gangs involved in kidnappings for ransom, claiming groups receive funding from the illicit trade.
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