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LAGOS: Nigeria police have launched an investigation into the deaths of \u201cscores\u201d of suspected illegal miners while in the custody of the country\u2019s civil defense in a central state, the force said Thursday.<\/p>\n
The deaths were confirmed by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), which partners with the Nigerian police to protect lives, critical national assets and infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Niger state officials confirmed a death toll of 37 people while in the custody of the country\u2019s civil defense.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis morning we woke up to the news that about 37 persons died in the custody of the civil defense here in Minna,\u201d Niger state Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago told reporters at a news conference in the state capital broadcast by Nigeria\u2019s TVC News television.<\/p>\n
Niger state \u2014 which is more than twice the size of Belgium \u2014 is rich in minerals and attracts thousands of artisanal miners, most of them lured by gold.<\/p>\n
After \u201cscores of persons arrested as illegal miners were found dead while in custody,\u201d the police chief in the central state of Niger \u201chas ordered the immediate commencement of investigation into the unfortunate death of suspected illegal miners while in the detention facility of the NSCDC,\u201d police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said in a statement.<\/p>\n
While neither the police nor the civil defense gave a precise number of deaths, which happened early on Thursday, local media reported a toll of 33.<\/p>\n
A 40-second video shared online showed bodies of dozens of young men clad only in shorts, most of whom appeared to be teenagers, sprawling on the ground out in the open.<\/p>\n
Volunteers wearing gloves are seen standing over them, while veiled women try to identify the bodies of their relatives. Voices shouting curses on those responsible can be heard in the background.<\/p>\n
\u2018Overcrowding and inadequate ventilation\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n An intelligence report seen by AFP said \u201cpreliminary information suggests the fatalities may have resulted from overcrowding and inadequate ventilation within a detention facility.\u201d<\/p>\n Civil defense said it had rounded up \u201cscores of suspected illegal miners\u201d on Tuesday and Wednesday,<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, in the early hours of 17th September, 2026, scores of the detained suspects were found dead, following a suspected outbreak of disease.\u201d<\/p>\n The mass deaths reportedly triggered protests by \u201cgroups of miners and sympathizers\u201d in the Niger state capital Minna, where cars and other properties were damaged, according to the intelligence report.<\/p>\n The scramble for gold reserves dug up in illegal mines in Niger state is also fueling violence by criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, according to officials and experts.<\/p>\n The gangs tax the miners and demand a cut from the extracted ore as a levy to allow them access to the pits.<\/p>\n Most of the illegally mined gold is smuggled out to the United Arab Emirates, from where it is laundered into the global supply chain in Europe, the United States, Asia and South Africa, according to a 2024 SwissAid report.<\/p>\n Apart from gold, Niger State sits on deposits of other minerals including tantalite, copper and lithium, in strong demand for use in electric vehicles and clean energy technology.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n