Nigeria, Oct. 28 -- The federal government has described the deaths of suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State as a preventable custodial tragedy, blaming overcrowding, poor ventilation, extreme heat and dehydration.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, stated this in a statement posted on his official Facebook page, following the submission of a report by a 10-member independent investigation committee set up to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

Mr Tunji-Ojo said the committee found that the conditions inside the detention facility, rather than a disease outbreak, led to the fatalities.

"Thirty-three lives, including fourteen minors, were...