RismadarVoice Reporters
October 29, 2026
A survivor of the deaths of suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State has accused operatives of taking his gold and ₦1.35 million during his arrest.
Abdulsalam Yakubu reportedly made the allegation while testifying before the Justice Mohammed Mohammed Judicial Commission of Inquiry in Minna.
Yakubu claimed that two bottles containing mined gold, cash and other personal belongings were taken from his bag when security operatives arrested him at a mining site in the Lokoto area of Bosso Local Government Area.
He alleged that the items had not been returned and appealed to the commission to facilitate their recovery.
The survivor also challenged earlier reports that 37 detainees died in custody, claiming that the actual number was 48.
His account has introduced another disputed figure into investigations surrounding the September tragedy.
Yakubu explained that he had turned to mining after armed attacks forced him and his family to flee the Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area.
According to his testimony, proceeds from mining helped him support his elderly parents, who were also displaced by insecurity.
He maintained that despite the risks associated with the occupation, he had limited alternatives for earning a livelihood.
Meanwhile, a separate Federal Government investigative committee has concluded that the detainees died from suffocation caused by severe overcrowding, inadequate ventilation, heat stress and dehydration.
The committee, chaired by Jonathan Kure, presented its findings to Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo on October 27.
Its detailed findings authenticated 33 deaths, including 14 minors, although initial reports had placed the toll at 37.
The panel found that approximately 50 male detainees were confined in a poorly ventilated cell measuring about 20 square metres.
It also identified failures in supervision and the response to repeated distress calls from detainees.
The committee recommended the dismissal and prosecution of implicated officers, alongside compensation totalling approximately ₦1.4 billion for bereaved families and survivors.
The Federal Government had earlier suspended the Niger State NSCDC commandant and other personnel following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for an investigation.
Yakubu’s allegations concerning missing property and a higher death toll remain unverified and require examination by the judicial commission.
The conflicting casualty figures have further highlighted the importance of reconciling detention records, medical evidence and survivor testimonies as efforts continue to establish accountability for the deaths.
