‘We Drank Urine’ – Survivor Of Mining Tragedy Narrates

Some suspected illegal miners who survived detention alongside 37 colleagues who died in custody have narrated the harsh conditions they allegedly endured before the deaths occurred.

The survivors claimed that several detainees struggled for breath inside an overcrowded cell, while repeated calls for help allegedly went unanswered by officials on duty.

Naija News reported that at least 37 suspected illegal miners arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) died about two days after their detention.

One of the survivors, Dauda Shehu, said the detainees exhausted every possible means to stay alive as the situation inside the cell worsened.

Speaking in an interview with Zarar Bunu TV, Shehu alleged that some inmates who were still conscious cried out for assistance and banged on the cell door, but their pleas were ignored.

He said, “Those who still had a vestige of life began crying out and banging hard on the door, but NSCDC personnel on duty remained unresponsive.

“We exhausted every means to stay alive, including drinking our urine and calling for help, but no one came to our aid. The inmates on the left and right began falling one after another.”

According to Shehu, the crisis began after community leaders in Lokoto, a settlement in Bosso Local Government Area of Niger State, demanded ₦150,000 for each mining pit operated by the miners.

He said many of the miners could not afford the payment because of the limited mining opportunities available in the area.

Shehu said, “We met with them at the palace. They demanded N150k for each mining pit, but we complained that diamonds were not abundant in the area, and therefore we could not raise the amount. A few of us paid, while some promised to pay.

“Sixty-six of us were put in one cell. Six people are currently on admission. They did not torture us, but there was excessive heat.

“We complained that the cell was too small to accommodate all of us, but they did not listen to us. We watched our colleagues die, and even when we raised the alarm, they thought we were lying.

“We drank urine because we couldn’t access water due to heat. Some people died in the night while others died in the morning on Thursday.”

Another survivor, who identified himself as Aminu Sale (not his real name), said detainees were soaked in sweat while struggling for air inside the facility.

“We shared, in turns, a small window for ventilation. Many of my friends and relatives have fallen,” Sale said.

Sale, who said he was an internally displaced person from Allawa in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, explained that mining was his main source of income.