RismadarVoice Reporters
September 18, 2026
Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has disclosed that 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners were held in a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) cell before 37 of them died in custody, as investigations intensify into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Bago disclosed while addressing journalists in Minna on Friday, stressing that the cause of the deaths had not been established and would be determined through medical, forensic and other scientific examinations.
The miners were arrested during NSCDC enforcement operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.
They were subsequently detained at an NSCDC facility before 37 were found dead in the early hours of September 17.
The NSCDC initially referred to a suspected disease outbreak but later clarified that the actual cause of death had not been determined and that medical and laboratory investigations were required.
OVERCROWDING, EXPOSURE AMONG POSSIBILITIES UNDER REVIEW
Bago said investigators were examining different possibilities, including whether overcrowding in the detention facility could have contributed to the deaths.
“The first one is that the office of the Niger State Civil Defence arrested 67 artisans and illegal miners and put them in their cells. So probably they died of suffocation,” the governor said.
He stressed that this remained a possibility under investigation rather than an established cause.
Authorities are also examining whether the miners could have been exposed to hazardous substances associated with activities at the mining site.
Bago said medical, forensic and biological specialists had been deployed to collect samples for examination, while experts were also assessing the possibility of radiological exposure at the site.
The governor called for the autopsies and laboratory examinations to be completed quickly to provide a scientifically supported explanation of what happened.
He described the loss of 37 lives as a serious incident requiring a comprehensive investigation.
FG SUSPENDS NSCDC COMMANDANT
The Federal Government has suspended the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, and ordered a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The NSCDC has also commenced an internal investigation expected to examine the arrests, the condition of the suspects when they were taken into custody, detention conditions, medical attention provided and the actions of personnel involved.
The suspension is an administrative measure pending the investigation and does not establish responsibility for the deaths.
The Niger State Government has separately initiated an inquiry and is awaiting the outcome of medical, forensic and laboratory examinations.
Bago urged the public to avoid concluding before the investigations are completed.
He also called for stronger enforcement of responsible mining practices, including greater use of protective equipment and sustained public awareness about potential occupational hazards associated with mining.
For now, authorities have not established what caused the 37 deaths, with the outcome of the autopsies, laboratory tests and investigations expected to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
