Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has disclosed that 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners were detained in a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps cell before 37 of them died in custody.
The miners were arrested during NSCDC operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16, 2026.
The NSCDC had initially attributed the deaths, which were discovered in the early hours of September 17, to a suspected disease outbreak.
However, the Corps later said the actual cause had not been established and that medical and laboratory examinations would determine what happened.
Bago disclosed this while addressing journalists in Minna on Friday as investigations continued into the deaths.
The governor said the exact cause of the deaths had not been established, adding that authorities were considering possible suffocation from overcrowding and exposure to hazardous substances associated with mining activities.
“The first one is that the office of the Niger State Civil Defence arrested 67 artisans and illegal miners and put them in their cell.
“So probably they died of suffocation. Probably the second one is exposure to certain poisons or poisoning substances on the field,” Bago said.
He said medical, forensic and biological teams had been deployed to collect samples that would assist the committee investigating the incident.
Bago stressed the need for autopsies and other examinations to be expedited to establish what caused the deaths.
“It is very important to understand that responsible mining must be the way forward where miners will have to use protective gears and also a lot of advocacy by the ministry must be done and must be continuous where people don’t understand the danger and the consequences of mining,” he said.
The governor said the death of 37 people was significant and should not be treated lightly.
“Even at times of war, if you kill 37 people, is not a small number. So there’s need for us to expedite action in the autopsies that are being done, in the samples that are being taken at the scene and also by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps on the actions of their men who made the arrest,” he said.
Bago also said experts had been deployed to examine the possibility of radiological exposure at the mining site.
The governor urged caution while the investigations were ongoing, with the state government and security agencies seeking to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The NSCDC had earlier confirmed that scores of suspected illegal miners arrested during operations around the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto area were found dead in custody on Thursday.
The Corps said the actual cause of death had not been established and that the bodies were taken for medical examination.
The Federal Government has suspended the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, and ordered a full investigation into the incident.
Surviving miner recounts ordeal: ‘They sprayed something in the cell with 65 people inside’
One of the surviving detainees among the miners arrested by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger state, has alleged that 65 people were crammed into one cell before operatives sprayed a substance inside and locked the door.
Thirty-seven of the detainees later died in custody.
The survivor spoke on Friday when Umar Bago, governor of Niger state, and Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior, met with survivors of the incident.
The survivor said the substance smelled like perfume but caused a burning sensation in the throat and eyes.
He also said the cell was overcrowded and that some detainees subsequently collapsed because of the extreme heat.
“The room was very small. At first, they put 17 of us inside, and then they brought another 48 people in,” he said.
“We told them the room was too small, but they refused to listen to us. They ordered all of us to stand up because we were so crowded inside.
“Then, they sprayed something and locked the door. Some people started collapsing due to the extreme heat. We begged them for water, but they said no.
“That same night, I fainted and didn’t know what happened until morning.
“I don’t know what type of spray it was. It smelled like perfume, but it felt very hot in the throat and made our eyes hot. After that, I didn’t know what happened because I spent the night unconscious.”
Speaking at the Niger state government house in Minna, Tunji-Ojo said the federal ministry of interior would investigate the incident and ensure that a similar occurrence does not happen again.
The minister said President Bola Tinubu was concerned about the deaths.
“For us, we will do the needful on our part, and we will collaborate very well with the government of Niger state because it is only one government, All Progressives Congress (APC) government,” he said.
“We will collaborate with you; we will work with you to ensure that we’re able to take this pain, no matter, in the least way possible, not in the best way possible, away from the people.”
The Federal Government earlier deployed a “high-powered” team to Niger state to investigate the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners.
Dele Alake, minister of solid minerals development, announced the deployment in a statement on Friday, saying the team would investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths and establish the facts of the incident.
…Protesters demand justice
Residents of Niger state have taken to the streets to demand justice over the deaths of suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The protests, which began in Minna on Thursday night and continued on Friday, were reported in Tunga, Maitumbi and along Bosso Road, with youths chanting “Justice must be done” as anger grew over the deaths.
Footage reviewed showed protesters destroying some campaign posters and damaging government property, while some vehicles were also reportedly damaged during the unrest.
Other videos showed police officers firing what appeared to be live rounds at protesters, although the circumstances surrounding the shooting were not immediately clear.
The protests followed an announcement by the NSCDC that scores of suspected illegal miners arrested during operations in Niger had died in custody.
Suberu Aniviye, NSCDC commandant in Niger, said the suspects were arrested during operations conducted on September 15 and 16 as part of efforts to rid the state of illegal mining activities.
He said the operation resulted in the arrest of suspected illegal miners and the recovery of various exhibits, but that scores of those detained were later found dead.
“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 statement reads.
“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.
“The corpses of the deceased suspects have since been deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for further medical examination to establish the actual cause of death.”
The NSCDC’s account has, however, been disputed by relatives of some of the deceased, who accused officers of keeping the detainees in an overcrowded cell despite warnings that some of them were critically ill.
The relatives said more than 30 detainees died overnight after being arrested at a gold-mining site, while some survivors were taken to hospitals for treatment.
Ibrahim Muhammad, whose brother was among those who died, said the victims had gone to the mining site to earn a living and questioned why they were arrested and subsequently died in custody.
“What happened was that we woke up in the morning only to hear that they had killed our brothers. For what reason would they kill our brothers?” Muhammad asked.
“They went there simply to earn a living, and they were killed. We want the government to ensure justice is served regarding this terrible injustice that has happened to us.”
Abdullahi, the father of another victim, said his son was among the miners arrested three days earlier and alleged that the family attempted to secure his release but was unsuccessful.
“My son goes to Zinari. He was arrested by the Civil Defence Corps three days ago. We did everything we could to get him released, but they refused,” Abdullahi said.
“He did nothing wrong; he only went to mine gold. The site is not illegal. What happened was a pure act of injustice.
“Yesterday, we visited him, and he was alive and healthy. Today, he is dead. I saw my son among the bodies. We want them to give us his remains so we can conduct his funeral.”
Another relative alleged that the detainees had been confined in a cell that was too small to accommodate the number of people inside.
“We had already warned the officers that the cell was too small for them. We even tried to break the door down, but it wouldn’t break,” the relative said.
“We informed the guards that our relatives were dying inside, but they thought we were lying.”
The relative put the death toll at at least 33, saying he personally saw about 30 bodies, while some of those who survived were receiving treatment in hospitals.
“At least 33 people have died. I saw 30 dead bodies with my own eyes. We suspect that they all died while in custody,” he said.
Another relative, who said his nephew was among the victims, accused the NSCDC of preventing families from taking possession of the remains.
“He is my brother’s son, and they killed him. They killed him while he was working hard to earn an honest living,” he said.
“They must give us our son. We do not agree to leave his body in the mortuary. They told us they would not release the bodies to us.”
A woman who identified herself as the grandmother of another victim also appealed to authorities to release the remains to the families so they could be buried.
“My grandson is also among the victims. He was arrested at the secretariat where they went to do gold work,” she said.
“They did nothing wrong. I only just heard the news that he was among them, and I was told he is already dead.
“Let them give us our deceased relatives so that we can give them a proper funeral.”
