A survivor from a prison cell in Nigeria, where 37 suspected illegal goldminers died in custody, described his terror and struggle to breathe as protests erupted over the deaths earlier this week. The incident occurred in Minna, the capital of Niger state, a region rich in minerals. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), a paramilitary group that works alongside police, initially claimed the deaths were due to a disease outbreak. However, an intelligence report obtained by Agence France-Presse suggested that overcrowding and poor ventilation were likely causes. Dauda Shehu, one of the survivors, described the conditions in the cell to journalists at a hospital: “We were jam-packed in the cell, no ventilation for us to breathe well. All of a sudden we realized that we could not breathe and we were all scampering for where to get fresh air.” Despite their pleas and attempts to get the guards’ attention, the detainees were left without relief. A video shared online showed the bodies of young men, many of them teenagers, lying on the ground. Volunteers and family members searched for loved ones among the dead, while angry voices echoed in the background. Protests erupted in Minna on Thursday evening, with miners and their families gathering near the NSCDC office. Police used teargas to disperse the crowd, and some protesters were seen armed with sticks, machetes, and traditional hunting rifles. A Reuters witness reported that live rounds were fired as protesters demanded justice. Some tried to set fire to government buildings in the Tunga neighborhood. Yusuf Auwal, a miner who joined the protests, said, “We are not thieves – we are simply seeking a way to make a living by mining.” Niger state, Nigeria’s largest state and twice the size of Belgium, is rich in minerals, attracting thousands of artisanal miners. The NSCDC confirmed that the detainees were arrested during raids on suspected illegal mines in late September. Nigeria’s interior minister ordered the suspension of the NSCDC commandant in Niger state pending an investigation. The state governor confirmed 37 deaths and declared three days of mourning, postponing election campaigning. The men were buried according to Islamic tradition without forensic examinations. Meanwhile, illegal gold mining in the region has been linked to criminal gangs that tax miners and smuggle gold to the United Arab Emirates, where it is laundered into global markets. The state also holds deposits of minerals like tantalite, copper, and lithium, which are crucial for electric vehicles and clean energy technology.