EXCLUSIVE: Detainees drank urine, sweat in NSCDC Niger cell before 33 of them died – Report

Detainees held in a cell at the Niger State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) drank urine or sweat because they had no access to drinking water before 33 of them died, an investigation committee report has found.

The Independent Investigation Committee, constituted by the Federal Ministry of Interior to investigate the deaths, said the male cell had no running water and its toilet was not functioning.

The report said survivors described extreme heat, dehydration and overcrowding, with detainees unable to move freely inside the approximately 12-square-metre cell.

The Jonathan Kure-led 10-member committee authenticated 33 deaths occuring inside the male cell between 8 p.m. on 16 September and 7 a.m. the following day 17 September.

According to the copy of the report obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, the deceased persons included 14 minors.

The report, which painted a deplorable, harsh condition of the cell, stated that there were 41 survivors.

It found that about 50 male detainees, including children, were confined in the cell, which had a solid metal door and inadequate ventilation.

“The Committee finds that officers responsible for the cells failed to reduce the overcrowding, ignored prolonged cries and banging of the cell door and wall and did not provide emergency help,” the report said.

Under the dehumanising condition of the male cell, the report said, there was “no water” and “toilet not functional”.

It added that “detainees drank urine or sweat.”

The situation in the female cell was barely better. The report said there was also “no drinking water” there, except from relatives. The toilet was also “non-functional but usable with fetched water,” according to the report.

It added that relatives were prevented from bringing food to detainees on Wednesday, 16 September, the committee said.

Warnings ignored

The committee found that medical personnel had warned officers about the danger posed by the overcrowded cell before the deaths.

Mariam Nelson, an NSCDC medical unit personnel, told the committee that she cautioned the cell guards, Usman Ndamaka and Hassan Mohammed, on the evening of 16 September that the overcrowding could cause suffocation.

She said she advised them to leave the metal door unlocked to improve ventilation, but they ignored her warning.

The report said detainees began experiencing symptoms, including eye irritation, burning throats, difficulty breathing, excessive sweating and intense thirst, from around 7:15 p.m. on 16 September.

They subsequently began shouting for help and pleading for water.

An armoury guard, Ahmed Abubakar Wushishi, told the committee that he heard persistent banging and screams from the cell between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. on 17 September.

He said he approached the night guard, Hassan Mohammed, and urged him to open the cell.

However, Mr Mohammed refused, citing an instruction from his superior, Mr Ndamaka, not to open the door without armed backup because the detainees might be planning an escape.

According to the report, Mr Wushishi said the screaming stopped around 2:30 a.m.

Mr Ndamaka admitted that he had instructed the night guard not to open the cell without armed backup. He also admitted that he did not respond to an emergency call from Mr Mohammed at 10:37 p.m. on 16 September, claiming he was asleep.

He returned the call around 6 a.m. and arrived at the facility at about 7 a.m., when the cell was opened and the bodies discovered.

The committee established that the deaths occurred inside the male cell between 8 p.m. on 16 September and 7 a.m. the following day.

Children among detainees

The report found that 14 of the deceased were minors. It also identified four children under the age of 14 who were recorded during profiling but were nevertheless placed in adult detention cells.

The profiling officer, Abubakar Dabban, admitted that he had recorded four minors under 14 but processed them into the adult detention cells.

The committee said this violated the children’s rights and applicable child-protection requirements.

It also found that adults and minors were detained together in the overcrowded facility.

Cause of deaths

The committee attributed the deaths to acute hypoxic respiratory failure, also known as environmental asphyxia, worsened by heat stress and dehydration.

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However, it clarified that the medical conclusion was based on post-mortem examinations of only three available bodies. The other 30 had been buried before the medical team arrived.

The report said the immediate cause of death was lack of oxygen, while the remote causes included failure of duty of care by NSCDC officers, poor detention infrastructure, inadequate emergency medical arrangements and weak institutional supervision.

It rejected the claim that the deaths resulted from a disease outbreak, saying the available medical and forensic evidence did not support it.

The committee recommended prosecution of officers found responsible, including for offences such as murder, criminal negligence, torture and inhuman treatment, where applicable.