Thirty-seven people arrested over alleged illegal mining activities in north-central Nigeria have died while in detention, according to local authorities.
The deaths have triggered a police investigation, with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) initially suggesting that a disease outbreak may have been responsible.
However, an intelligence report cited by the AFP news agency indicated that overcrowding and inadequate ventilation at the detention facility could have contributed to the deaths.
Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago described the incident as “sad and tragic” at a press conference on Thursday. He also announced that an NSCDC commander had been detained in connection with the incident.
The governor declared three days of mourning and postponed the commencement of election campaign activities that were scheduled to begin in January.
The victims, mostly young men, were arrested on Tuesday over suspected illegal mining activities near Borgu in Niger State, an area known for small-scale gold mining.
Two days after their arrest, 37 detainees were found dead at an NSCDC detention facility. The paramilitary organisation is responsible for protecting critical infrastructure, combating crimes including illegal mining and supporting the police with internal security operations.
The NSCDC initially attributed the deaths to a possible outbreak of diphtheria, a serious bacterial infection that can be fatal.
The agency’s national headquarters, however, later clarified that no specific cause of death had been confirmed and that medical and laboratory examinations were required to determine what happened.
“The NSCDC wishes to clarify that reports attributing the deaths to any specific disease remain subject to medical and laboratory confirmation,” the agency said in a statement.
A survivor who spoke to the Associated Press said about 65 people had been confined in a single cell that was overcrowded and poorly ventilated. The account has raised concerns that some of the detainees may have died from suffocation.
Relatives of some of the deceased have also challenged the official account, with some alleging that their family members may have been deliberately killed.
One father told Nigerian media that his son appeared healthy when relatives brought him food a day before his death. He called for an independent post-mortem examination to establish the cause of death.
Another relative said his 17-year-old brother, who was among the victims, had been visited by the family while in detention. The relative questioned how an infectious disease could have affected so many detainees without apparently causing similar illness among the officers guarding them.
Authorities are expected to rely on post-mortem examinations and laboratory tests to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Niger State Police Commissioner ordered an immediate investigation into what he described as “the unfortunate death of suspected illegal miners” at the NSCDC detention facility, according to police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun.
The bodies of the deceased have since been transported to the general hospital in Minna for examination.
Illegal gold mining has become a growing concern in Niger State, with officials and experts linking the competition for gold deposits to criminal gang violence.
A 2024 report by SwissAid also found that significant quantities of gold extracted from the region through informal and illegal mining operations enter international supply chains.
Story by Edem
