Survivors Describe Deadly Deaths Inside Crowded Nigerian Detention Cell
MINNA, Nigeria — September 22, 2026

Survivors of a deadly incident at a detention facility in central Nigeria have described how dozens of detainees began collapsing and dying after an unidentified substance was allegedly sprayed into an overcrowded cell.

At least 37 people died in the incident in Minna, Niger State, according to Reuters. Many of the victims were teenagers and young men who had been detained during a government crackdown on illegal gold mining.

Detainees Packed Into a Small Cell
One survivor, 22-year-old Adamu Isah, said he was among a group of young miners detained during a sweep outside Minna.

According to his account, around 17 detainees were initially placed inside a cell measuring about 5 square metres. Nearly 50 additional people were later brought into the same room.

The detainees complained to guards that the cell was severely overcrowded, Isah said.

Shortly afterward, an unidentified substance was sprayed into the cell.

“They Started Dying”
Isah told Reuters that the detainees initially thought the substance might have been intended to mask the smell inside the packed room.

But within about an hour, people began behaving strangely and losing consciousness.

“Then, one after another, they started dying,” Isah said, describing the experience after he had returned home.

Another survivor, 29-year-old Dauda Shehu, gave a similar account. He said the substance smelled like perfume and that detainees later experienced throat irritation and difficulty breathing.

Reuters said it could not independently verify the survivors’ accounts or determine what substance may have been used.

Authorities Launch Investigation
The deaths initially prompted speculation that a disease outbreak might have caused the fatalities.

Nigeria’s security authorities later said the cause of death had not been established and that an investigation would be conducted.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered an investigation, while several senior officials from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were suspended pending the inquiry.

Six bodies remained at a state hospital morgue, while many of the victims had already been buried according to Islamic customs.

Public Anger Grows
News of the deaths sparked anger in Niger State.

Protests and clashes followed the incident, leaving one person dead and prompting authorities to impose a 24-hour curfew in the state.

The incident has also renewed questions about overcrowding and conditions inside Nigerian detention facilities, particularly for people held while awaiting trial.

For the survivors, however, the investigation is also about understanding exactly what happened inside the small cell where so many people died.

Source: Reuters.