A raid by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on suspected illegal gold mines in the Wushishi‑Lukoto area west of Minna on 15 and 16 September left 37 miners dead in the corps’ custody. Many of the victims were children aged 14 to 18, according to state governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, who said the deaths were a toll on the region’s youth.
Survivors described the cell as overcrowded and poorly ventilated. Dauda Shehu, who was later admitted to a hospital, said the detainees were “jam‑packed” and could not breathe, banging on the door for fresh air. Another unnamed survivor claimed he escaped because he was near the entrance, where he could breathe better. An intelligence report seen by AFP suggested that overcrowding and inadequate ventilation, rather than a disease outbreak, were responsible for the deaths.
The tragedy sparked protests in Minna on Thursday evening. Dozens of miners and relatives gathered outside the NSCDC office, demanding justice. Police and security forces fired tear gas and, according to a Reuters witness, live rounds as protesters, some armed with sticks, machetes and hunting rifles, attempted to set fire to government buildings in the Tunga neighbourhood. At least one body was found on the streets, and soldiers and police patrolled the city to restore order.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered an investigation and had earlier suspended senior officials. The interior minister, Olubunmi Tunji‑Ojo, suspended the NSCDC commandant in Niger state pending the inquiry. Governor Bago declared three days of mourning, postponed election campaigning and noted that the men were buried without forensic investigations. The incident highlights the violence and smuggling that accompany illegal mining in Niger state, a region rich in gold, copper, lithium and other minerals.
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