No fewer than 33 suspected illegal miners are feared dead after being detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State.
The suspects were arrested during an operation targeting illegal mining activities in the state and were being held at an NSCDC facility in Minna before the deaths were discovered in the early hours of Thursday.
The Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC, Suberu Aniviye, confirmed that several detainees had died, attributing the deaths to a suspected outbreak of disease.
According to Aniviye, the command conducted a “burst operation” on September 15 and 16 as part of its ongoing crackdown on illegal mining.
He said the operation resulted in the arrest of scores of suspected illegal miners and the recovery of various exhibits.
“However, in the early hours of 17th September, 2026, scores of the detained suspects were found dead, following a suspected outbreak of disease,” the commandant said.
The NSCDC said the bodies had been deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for medical examination to determine the actual cause of death.
A source at the hospital told The PUNCH that the number of deceased suspects was 33 and that they were suspected to have died from diphtheria.
However, the NSCDC has not officially confirmed the figure of 33, saying only that “scores” of detainees were found dead.
The uncertainty over the exact number and cause of the deaths comes as relatives and residents from communities believed to be connected to some of the detained miners reportedly protested after news of the deaths emerged.
Residents of M.I. Wushishi and Mekunkle were said to have gathered on Thursday following the incident.
The NSCDC command appealed for calm, particularly among families of the deceased, and urged members of the public to avoid actions capable of causing a breakdown of law and order.
Aniviye said the corps was working with other security agencies to manage the situation and investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
He also reaffirmed the NSCDC’s commitment to human rights standards and international human rights charters.
The incident comes against the backdrop of an intensified government crackdown on illegal mining across Niger State and other parts of Nigeria.
The NSCDC’s Mining Marshals have carried out several operations against illegal mining activities in recent months, with authorities linking illegal mining to economic losses, organised crime and, in some areas, the financing of criminal and terrorist activities.
In August, the Nigerian Army arrested 18 suspected illegal miners in Niger State and recovered ₦2.4 million alongside mining equipment during an operation in the state. The arrests formed part of wider efforts by security agencies to disrupt illegal mining activities.
The latest incident is expected to raise questions about the health and welfare conditions of suspects held in custody, as well as the procedures followed during large-scale enforcement operations.
For now, authorities have not released a definitive medical report establishing the cause of the deaths. The examination of the bodies at the General Hospital, Minna, is expected to provide further information.
Until the medical findings are released, the reported death toll of 33 and the suspected diagnosis of diphtheria remain unconfirmed by the NSCDC.
The development has therefore prompted calls for calm while security and health authorities work to establish what happened to the detained miners and whether any further detainees may be at risk.
