Trapped in 19-Square-Meter Cell, Begging at Doors: Over Half of Imprisoned Miners Die

▲ Mubarak Dahiru (second from left), a survivor of the detention facility in Minna, Nigeria, stands with his friends.

The mass deaths of dozens of miners who were arrested in Nigeria on charges of illegal mining and later died in custody were reportedly caused by severe overcrowding, with dozens of people crammed into a tiny space.

According to the BBC and other outlets on the 28th (local time), an Interior Ministry investigation committee probing the incident announced that extreme overcrowding, poor ventilation, and the guards' failure to respond to pleas for help were the causes of the deaths.

At the time of the incident, 50 male inmates were being held in a cell measuring approximately 19 square meters, and the final death toll reached 33, including 14 minors.

Deprived of ventilation facilities, running water, and even toilets, the inmates suffered from respiratory failure, dehydration, and heat stress, passing away over an 11-hour period from 8:00 p.m. on September 16 to 7:00 a.m. the following morning.

Jonathan Kure, head of the investigation committee, stated, "Inmates repeatedly banged on the cell doors and walls, begging for water and pleading for help, but the on-duty guards ignored the requests and took no action."

He added, "Such detention conditions amount to cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment that violates human dignity."

Authorities initially raised the possibility of disease infection, such as diphtheria, but no evidence was found to support it.

Previously, in Niger State, central Nigeria, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) arrested dozens of people on suspicion of illegal gold mining on September 15–16 and detained them at a facility in Minna.

However, it was confirmed that the mines where the inmates worked were legally licensed, and the NSCDC's crackdown was an illegal arrest conducted without an approved operational order.

The committee recommended the immediate dismissal of the involved personnel and their prosecution on charges including homicide, torture, and inhuman treatment, as well as the payment of compensation amounting to 30 million naira (approx. 30 million KRW) to each bereaved family of the deceased and 10 million naira to each survivor.

The abysmal conditions of Nigerian detention facilities, including severe overcrowding, have long been criticized by international organizations and human rights groups.

Previously, the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture visited Nigeria in 2024 and urged urgent improvements to detention conditions, stating that "conditions in most detention facilities are extremely poor."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)

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