Survivors tell o panic and the struggle tae breathe in a Nigerian prison cell whaur 37 died

Survivors fae a preeson cell in Nigerie whaur 37 suspectit illegal gowd-miners dee'd whiles in the keepin o a paramilitary group this week hae telt o their panic and the struggle tae breathe, as polis on Friday fired teargas at fowk protestin against the deaths and pit an ower-nicht curfew in the ceety o Minna.

The victims – mony o wham war bairns – war fund deid on Tyesday in the cells o the Nigerie Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which haed raiddit suspectit illegal gowd-mines and lockit up dozens o miners in the ceety, the state caipital o the mineral-rich state o Niger.

NSCDC – a paramilitary group that wirks wi the polis – initially blaimt the deaths on a disaise ootbrak. Hooever, an intelligence report seen by Agence France-Presse (AFP) said preliminary information suggestit that ower-crouden and lack o air war responsible.

The state govrenor, Umar Bago, said mony o the deid war bairns, aged 14 tae 18, wha haed been wirkin in the mines instead o gaun tae schuil. There are issues o illegal minin and it is takin a toll on oor bairns, he said.

Dauda Shehu, a survivor fae the cell, telt journalists at a hospital on Friday: We war jam-packit in the cell, nae ventilation for us tae breathe weel. A' o a sudden we realised that we cudna breathe and we war a' scramblin for whaur tae get fresh air, we even appealit tae them several times, bangit the cell door, but they refused tae answer us.

A video shared online shawed the bouks o dozens o young men cled only in shorts, maist o wham appeart tae be teenagers, sprawlt on the grund oot in the open. Volunteers wearin gluives can be seen standin ower the deid, whiles veiled women try tae identify the bouks o their kin. Voices shoutin curses on thae responsible can be heard in the backgrund.

AFP reportit that anither survivor, wha askit no tae be named, said he haed made it oot alive acause he was near the cell entrance, whaur he cud breathe better. We war screamin for help, he said, wi detainees tellin the gairds that fowk are dyin ane efter the ither. They didna believe us.

Preses Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordert an investigation into the deaths efter his govrenment earlier suspendit some senior officials.

But protests ower the deaths brak oot on Tyesday evenin in Minna. On Friday dozens o young fowk, includin miners and their kin, gaithert near the NSCDC office in the ceety. Polis cordont aff the airt and attemptit tae disperse the protesters by firin teargas.

A Reuters witness saw security forces fire live roonds as protesters – some airmit wi sticks, machetes and traditional huntin rifles – caithed for justice. Some protesters tried tae set fire tae govrenment biggins in the Tunga neighbourhood. We are nae thieves – we are simply seekin a way tae mak a livin by minin, Yusuf Auwal, a miner wha jyned the protesters, telt Reuters. At least ane bouk lay on the streets. Sodgers and polis officers patrolt Minna tae try tae restore order.

As curfew begoud at 6pm local time on Friday, security forces appeart tae hae at least temporarily restorit order tae the streets o the ceety.

The NSCDC said the detainees haed been held in raids on suspectit illegal mines on 15 and 16 September in the Wushishi-Lukoto airt west o Minna. Nigerie interior minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, ordert the immediate suspension o Niger state NSCDC commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, pendin the ootcome o an investigation.

Niger state, which is Nigerie lairgest and is mair nor twice the size o Belgium, is rich in minerals and attracts thoosands o artisanal miners, maist lured by gowd.

Polis and the NSCDC didna initially provide a precise nummer o deaths but the state govrenor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, later confirmt 37 fowk haed dee'd.

It is sae sad, it is sae tragic, he said, addin an inquiry into the deaths haed already stairtit wirk. He declared three days o mournin and postpont the stairt o campaignin for elections due in Januwar. The men war buried on Tyesday, accordin tae Islamic tradition, withoot ony forensic investigations.

The scrammle for gowd reserves dug up in illegal mines in Niger state is fuelin violence by criminal gangs, accordin tae officials and experts. The gangs tax the miners and demand a cut fae the extractit ore as a levy tae allow them access tae the pits.

Maist o the illegally minit gowd is smugglit tae the United Arab Emirates, whaur it is launderit into the global supply chain in Europe, the US, Asie and Sooth Africae, accordin tae a 2024 Swissaid report.

Apairt fae gowd, the state o Niger sits on deposits o ither minerals includin tantalite, copper and lithium, which are in strang demand for use in electric vehicles and clean energy technology.