OUTRAGE has continued to trail the death of 37 suspected illegal miners who died after they were locked up by the Niger State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)
The ICIR reported that the suspected miners, comprising minors and other young people, were confirmed dead hours after operatives of the command locked them up following their arrest at mining sites around the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna between September 15 and 16, 2026.
While the command claimed the miners died from suspected disease outbreak, local and international organisations have called for a through probe into the tragedy.
The Nigeria Police Force and the NSCDC headquarters in Abuja have launched investigations into the incident.
Following the fatalities, the Federal Government suspended the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, under whose watch the operation was carried out.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, ordered Aniviye’s immediate suspension and directed a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
“We run a government whose ultimate priority is security of lives,” the minister said, urging members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding to allow for a transparent investigation.
The minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, announced the decision in a statement on Friday.
Tunji-Ojo described the incident as unfortunate and said the commandant would remain suspended while the investigation is conducted.
The headquarters of the NSCDC, through its Comptroller-General, Abubakar Audi, also announced the commandant’s suspension in a separate statement and ordered him to report in Abuja for questioning.
The NSCDC constituted a high-powered investigative team to examine the incident. Led by the Deputy Commandant-General in charge of Intelligence and Investigation, the team was directed to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Among the issues to be examined are the condition of the suspects when they were arrested, how long they remained in custody, the conditions of the detention facility, the medical attention provided to them and events immediately preceding their deaths.
The Corps has also said the health and welfare of other people still in custody must be prioritised while protective measures should be taken for personnel who may have come into contact with anyone affected by a suspected illness.
As authorities await medical findings, a survivor, Dauda Shehu, told the Associated Press that about 65 detainees were held in a poorly ventilated cell.
Shehu alleged that the detainees became unable to breathe properly and scrambled for fresh air before many of them died.
Niger State Government reacts
The Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago confirmed that 37 people died in NSCDC custody and declared three days of mourning for the victims.
The state government also constituted a committee of inquiry to investigate the incident and ordered forensic examinations and autopsies to establish the cause of death.
The governor also cancelled a political rally scheduled for Saturday in Minna following the incident.
Protests in Minna over deaths
The deaths have also triggered protests in Minna, with reports that residents and relatives of some of the victims demanded answers over the circumstances surrounding the fatalities.
The arrests occurred amid an intensified government crackdown on illegal mining, an activity authority have repeatedly linked to environmental degradation, loss of government revenue and, in some areas, criminal activity.
Nigerians react
The deaths have also drawn condemnation from Nigerians, including the former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, and human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, who called for a transparent investigation and accountability for those responsible.
Sani, in a post on X, said he could not finish watching a viral video showing the corpses of the minors, describing the circumstances surrounding their deaths as “condemnable and morally unacceptable”, regardless of what the victims were allegedly accused of.
He called for a comprehensive and transparent investigation, saying those who had the suspects in their custody must be held accountable.
In a subsequent post, Sani said as the circumstances surrounding the deaths became clearer, all officers and personnel involved in their arrest and detention should be apprehended and brought to justice.
“Without doubt, the deceased were detained in the most inhospitable and inhumane conditions,” he said, describing the incident as “an act of mass murder” that should not be treated lightly by the government.
Adeyanju also condemned the deaths, saying it was unacceptable for people in state custody to die under such circumstances.
He described the incident as “a crime against humanity” and called for the swift prosecution of those responsible.
Adeyanju questioned the explanation that the victims died from a disease outbreak, saying it should not be accepted without a credible, independent and transparent investigation.
“What happened when people first began falling ill? What medical attention did they receive? Where is the evidence?” he queried.
He said anyone found responsible through unlawful acts, torture, deliberate mistreatment or criminal negligence should be held accountable.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.