ABUJA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- At least 33 suspected illegal miners were found dead while in the custody of a security agency in central Nigeria's Niger State, local police said Thursday.
Wasiu Abiodun, spokesman for the Niger State police, said that the police authorities have ordered the State Criminal Investigation Department to take charge of the probe to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
He urged the families and associates of the deceased to support the police investigation by providing any available information.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps said that the suspects were arrested during separate raids in the Wushishi-Lukoto area on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of efforts to curb illegal mining activities in the state.
Although the cause of the deaths remains unknown, the agency said they could be linked to a disease outbreak, pending medical and laboratory confirmation.
The remains of the deceased have been sent to a health facility for examination to determine the cause of death, it added. ■