19th April, 2020
Forty four of the 58 Boko Haram terrorists captured recently by Chadian forces have died in prison.
Reports said the detainees took a lethal substance that produced ‘a heart rhythm disorder’.
Youssouf Tom, the public prosecutor announced this to the N’Djamena High Court on Saturday, the Chadian news platform, alwihdainfo.com reported.
All the detainees were arrested by the army during the offensive against Boko Haram in Lac region.
They were brought to N’Djamena as part of the counter-terrorism investigation.
“As of the 14th of this month, following the fighting against the Boko Haram sect in the Lake Chad region, 58 men were taken prisoner and brought to N’Djamena for judicial investigations,” said the prosecutor.
“Thursday morning, a new drama was announced to us by the jailers that 44 of the prisoners died in their cells,” he added.
“40 were buried, the other four bodies were turned over to a medical examiner who made an autopsy report.
“The report reveals that there was a consumption of a lethal substance having produced a heart rhythm disorder in some, severe asphyxiation in others, ” said Youssouf Tom.
The investigation continues to “determine the exact cause of this tragedy”, while a toxicological and anatomopathological analysis is planned.