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

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

A survivor from a prison cell in Nigeria where 37 suspected illegal goldminers died while in the custody of a paramilitary group has recounted his panic and struggle for breath, as police fired teargas at people protesting against the deaths earlier this week.

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