Thirty-seven people arrested on suspicion of illegal mining have died in a detention facility in Nigeria's Niger State, triggering protests, a curfew, and an official investigation into the cause of the deaths.
The suspects were arrested on Tuesday and Wednesday during an operation targeting illegal mining near Borgu, a part of Niger State known for small-scale gold mining. Two days after their arrest, all 37 were found dead inside a facility run by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the agency responsible for protecting critical infrastructure and tackling crimes including illegal mining.
More than 50 people had been arrested in total, according to NSCDC spokesperson Babawale Afolabi. None had been charged at the time of their deaths, as profiling and documentation were still under way.
The cause of death remains disputed. NSCDC officials initially suggested the detainees may have been victims of a diphtheria outbreak, though the agency's national headquarters later said the cause had yet to be established. The bodies were sent for medical examination.
An intelligence report, according to sources, pointed to a different explanation: overcrowding and poor ventilation inside the detention facility.
A survivor, Dauda Shehu, told sources that 65 detainees had been packed into a poorly ventilated cell. "We were jam-packed and there was no ventilation for us to breathe well," he said. "All of a sudden, we realised that we could not breathe and we started scrambling to get fresh air." Speaking from Minna General Hospital, where the bodies were taken, Shehu said detainees had tried to alert guards by banging on the cell door.
Another survivor, Abdullahi Dalhatu, said he believed the detainees had suffocated due to a lack of ventilation. He said his son had survived because he was positioned near a small window. "His friend slumped and fainted, and many others also collapsed," he said.
Relatives of the detained said they had visited the NSCDC office seeking the release of their family members but were repeatedly told to return later. "Unfortunately, the following day we got the news that our children had died," one father said. One relative, whose 17-year-old brother was among those who died, questioned how a disease could have killed so many detainees without apparently affecting the guards.
Nigeria's constitution requires anyone detained on suspicion of a criminal offence to be brought before a court within a reasonable time — generally within one day where a court is available within 40 kilometres, or two days in other cases.
Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago described the deaths as "sad and tragic" at a press conference on Thursday. He declared three days of mourning and postponed the start of campaigning for elections scheduled for January. He also confirmed that an NSCDC commander had been detained following the deaths. Reports also indicated that NSCDC commander Aniviye had been suspended.
The deaths sparked unrest in the state capital, Minna. Protests broke out on Thursday evening, with police responding by firing tear gas. Attacks on public buildings were also reported. A 24-hour curfew was subsequently imposed in Minna.
Investigators have urged relatives of the victims to come forward with any information that could assist the inquiry.
Niger State has long been associated with small-scale gold mining. Officials and experts have said the scramble for gold reserves in illegal mines in the region has fuelled criminal gang violence. A 2024 report by SwissAid found that much of the gold extracted in the region is trafficked through global supply chains.
