37 Illegal Miners Die in Nigerian Custody; Survivors Allege Suffocation, Chemical Spray

At least 37 suspected illegal miners died on September 17 while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State. The detainees were arrested during operations on September 15 and 16 targeting illegal gold mining in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas.

Survivors told visiting Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo that guards sprayed an unidentified substance into an overcrowded, unventilated cell, causing detainees to collapse and struggle to breathe. One survivor, Dauda Shehu, said they banged on the cell door pleading for air but were ignored.

“We were jam-packed in the cell, no ventilation for us to breathe well... we even appealed to them several times, banged the cell door but they refused to answer us.”

NSCDC Commandant Suberu Siyaka Aniviye initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak but did not disclose the specific illness or death toll. Governor Umaru Bago confirmed 37 deaths and suspended Aniviye. President Bola Tinubu ordered a "thorough, urgent, and full" investigation.

Protests erupted in Minna on Friday, with mobs blocking roads and attacking a bank, a transport depot, and political party offices. Police fired shots to disperse crowds, though it was unclear if live ammunition or anti-riot pellets were used. Governor Bago imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew.

The Commandant General, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, constituted a high-powered investigative panel led by the Deputy Commandant General for Intelligence. Bodies were taken to Minna General Hospital for autopsies, though hospital management initially resisted accepting the corpses. Separately, five miners died in a pit collapse in Taraba State, and Nasarawa State banned minors from mining.