World
Dozens of suspected illegal miners die in Nigerian custody
Authorities linked the deaths to disease, but this has been disputed by intelligence reports and relatives of the accused.
BBC World•
Thirty-seven people accused of illegal mining in north-central Nigeria have died in custody, local officials said.
Police have set up an investigation into the deaths, which the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) blamed on an apparent disease outbreak.
However, an intelligence report shared with the AFP news agency suggested the group died because of overcrowding and poor ventilation inside the detention facility in Niger state.
The NSCDC had earlier said the detainees were possibly victims of a diphtheria outbreak, a serious bacterial infection that can be fatal.