Mysterious Death Of 37 Detained Miners Sparks Multiple Investigations In Niger State
By Sunday Etuka
Niger State has been thrown into mourning following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), a tragedy that has triggered a wave of investigations, condemnation and calls for justice from government officials, rights activists and civil society groups.
The victims, among them believed to be minors, were arrested on September 15 and 16, 2026, during enforcement operations at mining sites located along the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna, the Niger State capital.
According to reports, the deaths occurred in the early hours of Thursday, following a period of detention that lasted only one to two days.
Detentions linked to informal and unregulated mining activity are not new in parts of Nigeria, where security agencies routinely carry out enforcement operations against illegal mining.
However, the scale of the death toll in this case, with dozens of lives lost within days of arrest, has drawn sharp national attention and renewed scrutiny of detention practices and conditions in the state.
The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, ordered the immediate suspension of the Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, pending a full investigation. In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, the minister described the development as unfortunate.
“It is an unfortunate incident, however, a full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended,” the minister said. “We run a government whose ultimate priority is security of lives and we have worked to stay true to this.”
He appealed to members of the public to remain calm and law abiding to allow for a transparent investigation, and extended condolences to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago and to the families of the deceased.
Meanwhile, the Niger State Government has constituted its own committee to probe the deaths, alongside ordering forensic examinations and autopsies to establish the exact cause of death. This was disclosed by Bologi Ibrahim, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Bago, in a statement issued on Thursday.
The committee will be chaired by the Deputy Governor, Yakubu Garba, with the Commissioner for Homeland Security, Maurice Magaji, serving as secretary.
Governor Bago noted that the State Security Service, the police and the NSCDC had each formed separate committees to investigate the incident independently.
The NSCDC Commandant General had earlier suspended Commandant Aniviye and his team to allow the investigation to proceed unhindered.
Governor Bago described the deaths as “unfortunate and tragic” and assured affected families that government would ensure the matter was “brought to a logical conclusion.”
The state government said it was compiling a register of victims’ families and would engage with them throughout the investigative process.
In response to the tragedy, the governor ordered the closure of all illegal mining activities around the M.I. Wushishi mining site, warning that violators would be prosecuted, and said experts from Abuja would be invited to examine and analyse the site.
He appealed to residents, particularly youths, to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands.
RIGHTS GROUPS DEMAND INDEPENDENT PROBE
Beyond the government inquiries, human rights advocates are calling for an independent investigation, arguing that internal or administrative sanctions alone would not be sufficient.
Campaigners insist that anyone found responsible for the deaths must face the full weight of the law, and that the circumstances of the arrests and the conditions in which victims were held must be established transparently, with families given access to justice and effective remedies.
Adding his voice to the growing outcry, human rights activist and former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, condemned the incident in strong terms.
“As the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the 33 minors in Civil Defence custody in Niger State gets clearer, all the officers and men involved in their arrests and detention must be apprehended and brought to justice,” Sani said. “Without doubt, the deceased were detained in the most inhospitable and inhumane conditions. This act of mass murder must not be treated lightly by the Government.”
DANGERS OF ARTISANAL MINING
The tragedy in Minna comes against the backdrop of renewed concern across Africa over the risks faced by artisanal miners.
Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Akake, speaking separately in his capacity as Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, reacted to a mine collapse at the Al Zaraa gold mine in West Kordofan, Sudan, which claimed the lives of several artisanal miners with others still missing.
“This tragedy is a painful reminder of the dangers faced by artisanal miners across Africa,” Akake said, calling for urgent support for rescue efforts and stronger measures to improve safety, training and oversight in artisanal mining across the continent. “No amount of gold is worth a human life. We remain committed to working towards a safer and more responsible mining sector across Africa.”
OUTLOOK
With multiple parallel investigations now underway, including committees set up by the state government, the police, the State Security Service and the NSCDC itself, alongside pressure from rights groups for an independent probe, attention will turn to whether the process yields transparency, accountability and justice for the families of the deceased.
Authorities have yet to release full details on the exact cause of the deaths, pending the outcome of ordered forensic examinations and autopsies.
