Horror in NSCDC Cell of Death: 37 Miners Die in Niger State Custody
Thirty-seven suspected illegal miners have died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State, after being held in an overcrowded detention cell following a raid on illegal mining operations, in an incident that has prompted a presidential order for a full investigation and conflicting accounts of what caused the deaths.
According to officials, NSCDC personnel in Niger State carried out what the Corps described as a “burst operation” against illegal mining activity around the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas west of Minna on September 15 and 16, 2026, arresting dozens of suspects. Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago later disclosed that 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners had been detained in a single NSCDC cell before 37 of them were found dead in the early hours of Thursday, September 17.
The NSCDC’s Niger State Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, specifically diphtheria. However, Governor Bago, speaking to journalists in Minna, said the precise cause of death had not yet been established, pointing instead to overcrowding and possible exposure to hazardous substances associated with mining activity as factors under investigation. He said specialists had also been brought in to examine whether radiological exposure may have contributed to the deaths, and stressed the need to expedite ongoing autopsies and forensic sampling. “Even at times of war, if you kill 37 people, is not a small number,” Bago said, calling for urgent scrutiny of the actions of the officers involved in the arrests.
Survivors of the incident have offered a starkly different account. Speaking during a visit to Minna by Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo on Friday, September 19, one survivor alleged that an unidentified substance had been sprayed inside the cell shortly after detainees were locked in, after which people began collapsing. According to his account, 17 people were initially held in a small room before additional detainees were brought in, worsening overcrowding inside the already cramped space, with pleas for water and space reportedly ignored by guards. Another survivor said he believed he survived only because he was positioned near the cell’s entrance, where he could breathe more easily, adding that detainees screamed for help as people died one after another. It should be stressed that the allegation of a substance being sprayed inside the cell has not been independently verified, and no official finding has confirmed it as a cause of death.
In response to the incident, the Ministry of Interior suspended Niger State NSCDC Commandant Suberu Siyaka Aniviye pending the outcome of an investigation. NSCDC Commandant-General Ahmed Abubakar separately ordered a high-powered panel to examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths, including the detainees’ condition at the time of arrest, the length of their detention, conditions inside the facility, and the medical attention made available to them. President Bola Tinubu has ordered a full and transparent investigation into the deaths, stating that no Nigerian should lose their life in government custody through negligence, abuse, inhumane treatment or dereliction of duty.
The tragedy has drawn strong reactions from political and civic figures. Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso condemned the deaths as a severe failure of custodial duty and demanded an immediate, independent and transparent investigation by both the state and federal governments. The Federal Government and the Northern States Governors’ Forum have both expressed condolences, with Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris conveying sympathy to the government and people of Niger State, traditional leaders, and the families of those who died. The Niger State Government has since declared a 24-hour curfew in the affected area, suspended local mining operations, and constituted a judicial panel of inquiry. Bodies of the deceased have been taken to the General Hospital in Minna for autopsy, with families of the victims reported to be questioning the initial disease-outbreak explanation, noting the difficulty of a sudden infection killing dozens of people in a single night while facility guards remained unaffected.
As of the time of reporting, no official cause of death has been conclusively established, and multiple investigations, spanning the NSCDC, the Niger State Government and the federal authorities, remain ongoing. The precise number and identities of those who died, along with the full circumstances of their detention, are expected to become clearer as autopsy results and the various inquiries progress in the days ahead.
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