37 Artisanal Miners Die in NSCDC Custody in Minna, Niger State Amid Dispute Over Cause of Death
At least 37 artisanal miners, including teenagers, have died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State , following their arrest over alleged illegal mining activities. The miners were arrested during operations conducted by NSCDC personnel on September 15 and 16, 2026 , at locations including the Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Housing Estate and Lukoto village. Some of those arrested were reportedly internally displaced persons from communities in Shiroro Local Government Area. Niger State Governor Umaru Bago confirmed that 37 people died in the incident and disclosed that the state NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye , had been suspended. NSCDC: Suspected Disease Outbreak The suspended commandant had earlier said the detainees died following a suspected disease outbreak in the early hours of Thursday. According to him, the NSCDC operation was part of efforts to tackle illegal mining in the state. He said several suspects we...