Police have launched an investigation into the deaths, which authorities say were caused by a disease outbreak. But a survivor told the AP that 65 people were crammed into a cell with poor ventilation and may have suffocated to death. A report from the investigation, seen by AFP, also points to the same shortcomings in the detention center.
The incident occurred in Niger state in northern Nigeria, where three days of mourning have been declared.
"It's so sad. It's so tragic," Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago said during a press conference, according to AFP.
