Asked why the authorities wanted them to stop working, Nasera said the owner of the mining site had directed that work should continue.

A survivor of the mass death of suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State has claimed that the gold-mining site where the men worked belongs to former military Head of State, retired General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.

The survivor, Malam Babawo Tudun Nasera, made the claim while recounting the arrest and death of his 17-year-old brother, Salim, who was among the miners detained by NSCDC officers.

According to Nasera, the miners were arrested at the site and remained in NSCDC custody for three days before the deaths were discovered.

In a video seen by SaharaReporters, he said the authorities wanted the miners to stop working at the site.

“They wanted us to stop working at the site,” he said.

Asked why the authorities wanted them to stop working, Nasera said the owner of the mining site had directed that work should continue.

“They wanted the work to stop, even though the owner of the place had said that we should continue working,” he said.

Asked who owned the place, Nasera replied: “It belongs to Babangida.”

When asked which Babangida he meant, he confirmed that he was referring to retired General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, Nigeria's former military Head of State popularly known as IBB.

Asked whether Babangida had told the miners to continue working, Nasera said: “Yes, he said we should continue working.”

The claim could not immediately be independently verified from the information available to SaharaReporters

It was also not immediately clear whether the former Head of State personally owns the mining operation, holds a mining lease over the site, owns the land on which the operation is located or was being referred to by the survivor in another capacity.

The claim is significant because it raises questions about the ownership and operation of the site where the miners were arrested, as well as the circumstances that led to their detention.

The NSCDC has accused the miners of illegal mining, while survivors have said they were working at the site to earn a living.

Nasera said his brother Salim was 17 years old when he died.

“They killed him. We saw him,” he said.

Asked his brother's name, he replied: “His name was Salim.”

“He was 17 years old,” he added.

Nasera said the miners had gone to the site because they had no other means of feeding their families.

“We went there looking for food. The mining site was where people went to find something to feed their families. It was hard work. Then Civil Defence officers came, arrested them and took them away. What were we supposed to do?”

He said the miners remained in NSCDC custody for three days.

“They kept them in custody for three days. They were all in their custody. We tried to get them released, but they refused and said they would not allow it.”

Asked to confirm whether they had spent three days in custody, he replied: “Yes, they were in their custody. They had been there for three days.”

Nasera also questioned what caused the deaths, saying the detainees had received food before the bodies were discovered.

“Yesterday, they brought food to them and they ate. Each of them ate until he was satisfied. But from yesterday morning until today, what happened that made us come and find out that someone had died?”

Asked what the detainees were given, he said: “They gave them some kind of medicine or something. They were also exposed to the heat outside.”

Asked what could have killed them if it was not medicine, he replied: “If it was not medicine, what else could it have been?”

His account comes as authorities investigate the deaths of at least 37 suspected illegal miners who died after being arrested by NSCDC officers in Niger State.

Meanwhile, retired General Babangida has condemned the deaths and called for a comprehensive investigation.

The former Head of State, speaking through Dr Danladi Umar Abdulhameed, the Tambarin Kagara, described the incident as tragic and deeply disturbing.

He expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and commended the Niger State Government for constituting a committee of inquiry and initiating medical and forensic examinations to establish the circumstances and actual cause of the deaths.

Babangida also commended the Niger State Government for its immediate response to the incident, particularly the decision to constitute a committee of inquiry and initiate medical and forensic examinations to establish the circumstances and actual cause of the deaths.

According to Babangida, the steps being taken by the authorities are necessary to establish the facts surrounding the deaths and ensure that appropriate action is taken based on the findings.

He therefore appealed to the people of Niger State, particularly the youths and families of the deceased, to remain calm and allow the ongoing investigations to run their course.

The former military ruler urged all parties to avoid actions capable of escalating tensions or disrupting peace and security in the state, stressing the importance of allowing the relevant authorities to establish the truth surrounding the unfortunate incident.

Babangida, through the Tambarin Kagara, expressed hope that the investigations would be conducted transparently and that the outcome would help provide answers to the families and the good and law-abiding people of Niger State.