At least 37 artisanal miners, including teenagers, have died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.
The miners were arrested on September 15 and 16 by NSCDC operatives over allegations of illegal mining.
Some of the victims were internally displaced persons (IDPs) from communities in Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.
Niger State Governor Umaru Bago who confirmed that 37 persons died in the incident, said last night that the state commandant of NSCDC, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, had been placed on suspension.
Earlier, the state Commandant said the suspects died in detention following a suspected outbreak of disease in the early hours of Thursday.
He said the victims were among illegal miners arrested at the Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Housing Estate and Lukoto village.
However, Aniviye did not disclose the number of deaths or the disease suspected to have caused them.
Relatives of the deceased and residents, however, put the death toll at 37.
“The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Niger State Command, in its renewed efforts to rid the state of illegal mining activities, conducted a “burst operation” on 15th and 16th September, 2026, leading to the arrest of suspected illegal miners and the recovery of exhibits.
“The operation yielded significant results, with scores of suspected illegal miners arrested and various exhibits recovered.
“However, in the early hours of 17th September 2026, scores of the detained suspects were found dead, following a suspected outbreak of disease,” Aniviye said in the statement.
He said the corpses of the deceased suspects have been deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for further medical examination to establish the actual cause of death.
He appealed to the general public and the families of the deceased to remain calm and desist from any actions that could lead to a breakdown of law and order.
It was gathered that the management of Minna General Hospital did not allow the bodies to be deposited at the hospital mortuary.
A staff member of the hospital told our correspondent that the management was not officially informed before the bodies were brought from the Minna Command headquarters of the NSCDC in two ambulances.
He said seven other victims were admitted to the hospital’s emergency unit because of the severity of their condition.
Parents and relatives of the deceased, who gathered at the mortuary to collect the bodies of their loved ones, could not hold back their tears.
The bodies were reportedly laid on the floor of the mortuary.
The incident triggered a protest by residents of Maitumbi, Tudun Natsira, Berger and parts of Tunga in Minna.
The protesters blocked the road at Flamingo Junction, Maitumbi, disrupting traffic in the area.
Some of the protesters alleged that personnel of an NSCDC patrol team arrested several miners about two days ago and took them into custody.
They said they were later informed that some of those arrested had died while in detention.
