37 Nigerian Detainees, Including 14 Children, Died After Drinking Urine, Sweat in Niger NSCDC Cell

Imagine being locked in an overcrowded cell without drinking water or a functioning toilet, desperately crying for help until death. An investigative report has exposed the horrific final hours of 37 Nigerian detainees, including 14 children, in Niger State.

Thirty-seven detainees, including 14 children, reportedly endured severe suffering before dying in an overcrowded detention cell operated by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State, with some allegedly forced to drink urine and sweat due to a lack of drinking water.

The disturbing revelations emerged from an investigative panel report examining the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died in NSCDC custody between September 16 and 17, 2026.

According to the report, approximately 50 male detainees, including minors, were confined in a cell measuring about 12 square metres at the NSCDC state command headquarters in Minna.

The committee, chaired by Jonathan Kure, identified severe overcrowding, poor ventilation and inadequate sanitation as major conditions that exposed the detainees to extreme suffering.

The cell’s toilet was reportedly nonfunctional, while the detainees had no adequate supply of drinking water.

Detainees Cried for Help as Conditions Deteriorated

The investigative report detailed how detainees repeatedly cried out for help, complaining of intense thirst, excessive sweating and difficulty breathing.

Despite their desperate pleas, security personnel allegedly failed to take appropriate action.

An NSCDC medical staff member, Mariam Nelson, told the investigative panel that she had warned officers guarding the cell about the dangers of suffocation.

She reportedly advised them to leave the metal door unlocked to improve ventilation and reduce the risk of suffocation. However, the guards allegedly ignored her recommendation.

Similarly, an armoury guard, Ahmed Abubakar Wushishi, told investigators that he heard detainees screaming and banging on the cell door between 1 am and 2 am on September 17.

He reportedly urged the night guard to open the cell, but the officer refused, citing instructions from a superior that the door should not be unlocked without armed backup for fear that the detainees might escape.

According to his testimony, the screaming stopped at approximately 2:30 am.

The cell was eventually opened around 7 am, when officers discovered the bodies of the detainees.

Investigative Panel Accuses Suspended Commandant of Cover-Up

The committee also raised concerns over the circumstances surrounding the public explanation initially offered for the deaths.

It accused the suspended Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Siyaka Suberu, of fabricating a disease outbreak as the cause of the incident.

Suberu had reportedly issued a statement attributing the deaths to an alleged disease outbreak.

However, investigators said the explanation was not supported by available medical and forensic evidence, describing it as an attempt to mislead the public and conceal the actual circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The panel further disclosed that post-mortem examinations were conducted on only three victims because the remaining bodies had been buried before the medical team arrived.

It added that toxicology results were still pending.

Panel Recommends Prosecution, ₦1.4 Billion Compensation

Following its investigation, the committee recommended the prosecution of officers found culpable in offences including murder, criminal negligence, torture and inhuman treatment, where applicable.

It also proposed compensation of ₦30 million for each of the 33 bereaved families and ₦10 million for each of the 41 survivors.

The proposed compensation package amounts to approximately ₦1.4 billion.

Other recommendations include full educational scholarships for the children of deceased detainees, medical rehabilitation for survivors and psychological support for affected families.

The panel also called for comprehensive reforms within the NSCDC, recommending improved detention facilities, stronger supervision of personnel, independent inspections and the installation of surveillance cameras in detention centres.

The Federal Government reportedly said the investigative report would be forwarded to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation for further judicial action.