Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has disclosed that 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners were detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps before 37 of them died in custody.
The miners were arrested during NSCDC operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16, 2026.
Bago disclosed this while addressing journalists in Minna on Friday as investigations into the deaths continued. Channels Television also reported that the governor confirmed 37 deaths and said forensic examinations and autopsies were underway to establish the cause.
The NSCDC initially linked the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak after the victims were found dead in the early hours of September 17.
However, the Corps later said the cause had not been established and that medical and laboratory examinations were required before any conclusion could be reached.
Bago said investigators were considering possible suffocation caused by overcrowding in the detention facility, as well as exposure to hazardous substances linked to mining activities.
“The first one is that the office of the Niger State Civil Defence arrested 67 artisans and illegal miners and put them in their cell.
“So probably they died of suffocation. Probably the second one is exposure to certain poisons or poisoning substances on the field,” Bago said.
He said medical, forensic and biological teams had been deployed to collect samples that would help investigators establish what happened.
The governor called for the prompt completion of autopsies and other examinations.
“It is very important to understand that responsible mining must be the way forward where miners will have to use protective gears and also a lot of advocacy by the ministry must be done and must be continuous where people don’t understand the danger and the consequences of mining,” he said.
Bago said the death of 37 people was significant and urged authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident without delay.
“Even at times of war, if you kill 37 people, is not a small number. So there’s need for us to expedite action in the autopsies that are being done, in the samples that are being taken at the scene and also by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps on the actions of their men who made the arrest,” he said.
He also said experts had been deployed to examine the possibility of radiological exposure at the mining site.
Investigations continue
The NSCDC has constituted an investigative team to examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths, including the condition of the detainees when they were arrested, their period in custody, detention conditions and medical attention provided.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has also ordered a full-scale investigation. Following the directive, the NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, directed the Niger State Commandant and other senior officers to step aside and report to the Corps’ headquarters for the inquiry.
Bago urged the public to remain calm while the various investigations proceed.
He said authorities must determine whether the deaths resulted from conditions inside the detention facility, exposure to hazardous substances or other factors.
The state government and security agencies are continuing efforts to establish the facts surrounding the deaths and determine responsibility based on the findings of the investigations.