Survivor recounts panic and struggle to breathe in Nigerian prison cell where 37 died

Police fire teargas as protests break out in city of Minna after deaths of suspected illegal goldminers

Survivors from a prison cell in Nigeria where 37 suspected illegal goldminers died while in the custody of a paramilitary group this week have recounted their panic and struggle for breath, as police on Friday fired teargas at people protesting against the deaths.

Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) – a paramilitary group that works with police – initially blamed the deaths in Minna, the state capital of the mineral-rich state of Niger, on a disease outbreak.