At least 37 individuals suspected of illegal mining, including some teenagers, have died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State, prompting investigations by both the police and the corps, the suspension of a state commandant, and protests in the city.

The deceased were part of a larger group arrested on September 15 and 16 during an NSCDC operation that targeted illegal mining locations near the Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Housing Estate and Lukoto village. Some of the victims were reportedly internally displaced persons from areas in the Shiroro Local Government Area of the state. Initially, NSCDC Niger State Commandant Suberu Siyaka Aniviye stated that the detainees died due to a suspected outbreak of disease, which some officials later identified as possible diphtheria, and mentioned that the bodies had been transferred to the General Hospital, Minna, for an autopsy.

During a press conference on Thursday, Niger State Governor Umaru Bago confirmed the death toll, stating it was premature to reach conclusions regarding the cause of death, while noting that investigators were exploring various possibilities, including exposure to dangerous chemicals. He announced a three-day mourning period and indicated that an investigative committee had already started its work.

In a separate development, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo mandated the immediate suspension of Commandant Aniviye pending the investigation’s results, while NSCDC Commandant General Ahmed Abubakar Audi instructed the creation of a high-powered investigative team, led by the agency’s Deputy Commandant General for Intelligence and Investigation, to look into the arrests, conditions of detention, medical care, and circumstances related to the fatalities.

Niger State Police Commissioner Adamu Elleman likewise called for a police investigation into the incidents of death. An AFP report mentioned an intelligence assessment indicating that overcrowding and insufficient ventilation in the detention facility, where approximately 65 individuals were allegedly held in a single cell, may have played a role in the deaths—although this claim has not been corroborated by statements from the NSCDC itself. Protests erupted in Minna on Thursday evening, in response to which police used tear gas; relatives of the deceased have challenged the official narrative and demanded an independent inquiry.

Niger State is known as a center for artisanal gold mining, and in recent years, security agencies have intensified their operations against illegal mining locations, claiming that the informal trade contributes to smuggling and criminal behavior. The precise reason for the 37 fatalities is still under investigation, and no findings have been released to the public as of yet.