Thirty-seven suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State have been identified.
The victims were among scores of suspects arrested during anti-illegal mining operations conducted on September 15 and 16 around the Lt Gen Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate in Minna, the state capital.
At the time of the incident, the NSCDC Niger State Commandant, Suberu Aniviye, said scores of detainees were found dead in the early hours of Thursday following a suspected disease outbreak.
The deaths prompted the Federal Government to suspend the commandant and order an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The International Human Rights Commission said it had compiled a list of the 37 deceased.
Awaisu Giwa, the commission’s international peace ambassador, said on Sunday that the initial list was obtained from the records of General Hospital, Minna as reported by THE CABLE.
According to Giwa, the names were provided by the hospital’s mortuary attendant on the instruction of the Chief Medical Director.
He said four additional names were later added after relatives of victims whose names were missing from the initial record approached the commission.
“We got the list from the CMD of the general hospital. It was written by the mortuary attendant for us, but we are going to the hospital tomorrow for the list to be on the official letterhead of the hospital,” Giwa said.
“The CMD was the one who instructed the mortuary attendant to give us the names. Some people whose relatives were missing are beginning to report in our office.”
Giwa said the commission intended to use the list to assist in securing compensation for the families of those who died.
The identities of the deceased are:
