At least 37 miners die in Nigerian police custody

At least 37 miners, including children aged 14 to 18, died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Nigeria, following raids on illegal gold mines. Survivors and intelligence reports suggest the detainees suffocated in overcrowded, poorly ventilated cells. The incident sparked violent protests in Minna, where security forces fired live rounds at demonstrators, killing at least one person. President Tinubu has ordered an investigation, and the regional commandant has been suspended.

Minna detention deaths

• ▪Survivor Dauda Shehu stated that 65 detainees were packed into a cramped, poorly ventilated cell and began suffocating before the deaths of detainees in Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps custody in Minna occurred
• ▪Shafa'atu Suleiman, the mother of deceased detainee Abdullahi, stated that Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps officials refused to allow relatives to deliver food and demanded 100,000 naira to free Abdullahi
• ▪The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps initially attributed the deaths of the 37 detainees in its custody to a suspected disease outbreak, but later stated the cause of death was unconfirmed pending medical examinations
• ▪At least 37 detainees died on September 17, 2026, while being held in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Nigeria
• ▪An intelligence report seen by the AFP news agency suggested that overcrowding and poor ventilation inside the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps facility caused the deaths of the 37 detainees in Minna

Illegal mining enforcement

• ▪Analysts state that illegal mining in Nigeria funds the activities of armed groups, some of whom control the informal mining sites
• ▪Nigeria has struggled for years to curb unauthorized mining at thousands of informal sites, which authorities say damages the environment and causes government revenue losses
• ▪Niger State Governor Umar Bago stated that many of the deceased miners were children aged 14 to 18 who were working in the mines instead of attending school

Minna street protests

• ▪Niger State Governor Umar Bago imposed a 24-hour curfew in Minna on September 18, 2026, to restore order following violent clashes between protesters and security forces over the deaths of 37 detainees in Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps custody
• ▪Protesters claimed the 37 miners who died in Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps custody were killed as retaliation for earlier attacks by some miners against Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps officers
• ▪Protesters in Minna targeted government facilities, damaging vehicles and attempting to set fire to government buildings in the Tunga neighborhood

Security force gunfire

• ▪A Reuters witness observed at least one dead body lying on the streets of Minna during the security forces' response to the protests on September 18, 2026
• ▪Nigerian security forces opened fire with live ammunition and deployed tear gas to disperse crowds of protesters demonstrating in Minna on September 18, 2026, over the deaths of 37 detainees in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)

Government investigation launched

• ▪Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago declared three days of mourning in the state, calling the deaths of the 37 miners in Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps custody sad and tragic
• ▪Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered an official investigation into the deaths of the 37 miners in Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps custody in Minna

Debatable claims

• ▪Nigerian security forces were justified in using live ammunition against protesters in Minna
• ▪Nigeria should decriminalize informal gold mining