37 Illegal Mining Suspects Found Dead in Nigerian Custody; Probe Ordered

At least 37 people arrested on suspicion of illegal mining have been found dead in security custody in Nigeria's Niger state, officials said, with the cause of death still under investigation.

The detainees had been held since arrests carried out on Tuesday and Wednesday over alleged illegal mining in the state, the head of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger state, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, said in a statement on Thursday.

Niger state Governor Mohammed Umar Bago said forensic examinations and autopsies were being conducted. He said some bodies had been released to families for burial in line with Islamic rites, while a few remained in the mortuary for further examination.

Bago said some of the dead were found with burns and peeling skin, while others had foam in their mouths and blood stains. He said the deaths could have resulted from poisoning, suffocation or another cause, adding that poisoning was not being ruled out.

The state government has set up a committee of inquiry, and the NSCDC commandant in Niger state and his team have been suspended to allow the investigation to proceed.

Inspector General of Police Tunji Disu said security agencies had taken control of the scene of the incident to preserve evidence. "We have to keep the place safe. We have to keep it clean. We have to ensure that nothing is removed and nothing is added to the scene of the incident," he said.

President Bola Tinubu ordered a full investigation into the deaths, including the circumstances of the arrests, the conditions in which the detainees were held and the medical attention they received. He said any official found responsible through action or negligence should face prosecution.

The deaths triggered protests in Minna, the state capital. Police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators who had gathered near the civil defence corps' office on Friday. The state government imposed a curfew after violence was reported during the protests.

Faruk Yabo, permanent secretary at the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, stressed that mining is a specialised activity and called on those engaging workers to provide safety kits and adhere to established procedures.

Illegal mining remains a major challenge in Nigeria, particularly in parts of the north-central and northwest regions. Analysts have linked such activities in those areas to armed gangs involved in kidnappings for ransom, saying the groups receive funding from the illicit trade.