Shock and anger rippled through Minna after the governor of Niger state said 37 people suspected of illegal mining died while being held by Nigeria’s civil defence corps.
Police have opened an investigation into the deaths in the central Nigerian state, after the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) attributed the fatalities to disease but an intelligence report pointed instead to overcrowding and poor ventilation.
Niger state — more than twice the size of Belgium — is known for its mineral wealth and draws thousands of artisanal miners, many chasing the chance of striking gold.
“This morning we woke up to the news that about 37 persons died in the custody of the civil defence here in Minna,” Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago told reporters at a news conference in the state capital broadcast by Nigeria’s TVC News television.
“It’s so sad, it’s so tragic,” he said, announcing that a committee of inquiry had been formed and had already begun its work.
Bago also declared three days of mourning and delayed the start of campaigning for elections scheduled for January.
The intelligence report seen by AFP said the deaths sparked protests by “groups of miners and sympathisers” in Minna, where vehicles and other property were damaged.
The deceased were in the custody of the NSCDC, an agency that works alongside the police to safeguard lives as well as critical national assets and infrastructure.
Online, a 40-second video showed the bodies of dozens of young men wearing only shorts sprawled on the ground outdoors, with most appearing to be teenagers.
In the footage, volunteers in gloves stand over the bodies as veiled women move among them, attempting to identify relatives.
Shouts cursing those blamed for the deaths can be heard in the background.
‘Overcrowding and inadequate ventilation’
In a statement, police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said the Niger state police chief “ordered the immediate commencement of investigation into the unfortunate death of suspected illegal miners while in the detention facility of the NSCDC”.
The civil defence said it detained “scores of suspected illegal miners” during operations on Tuesday and Wednesday,
“However, in the early hours of 17th September, 2026, scores of the detained suspects were found dead, following a suspected outbreak of disease.”
The intelligence report, however, said “preliminary information suggests the fatalities may have resulted from overcrowding and inadequate ventilation within a detention facility.”
Officials and experts say Niger state’s illegal mining sites and their gold reserves have also become flashpoints for violence, driven by criminal gangs known locally as bandits.
Authorities say the gangs impose taxes on miners and demand a share of extracted ore as a levy for access to the pits.
Much of the illegally mined gold is smuggled to the United Arab Emirates and then laundered into the global supply chain in Europe, the United States, Asia and South Africa, according to a 2024 SwissAid report.
Beyond gold, Niger state also has deposits of sought-after minerals such as tantalite, copper and lithium, commodities in high demand for electric vehicles and clean energy technology.
