No fewer than 33 suspected illegal miners are feared dead after being detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
The suspects were arrested during a September 15 and 16 operation targeting illegal mining and detained at an NSCDC facility in Minna.
The Niger State Commandant, Suberu Aniviye, confirmed the deaths in a statement on Thursday, saying the suspects died following a suspected outbreak of disease.
According to him, “scores” of detained suspects were found dead in the early hours of September 17, 2026.
He said the corpses had been deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for medical examination to determine the actual cause of death.
A source at the hospital told PUNCH Online that 33 suspects had died and were suspected to have died from diphtheria. The figure, however, has not been confirmed by the NSCDC.
Residents of M.I. Wushishi and Mekunkle, believed to be relatives of some of the suspects, reportedly protested on Thursday following news of the deaths.
Aniviye appealed for calm, saying the NSCDC was working with other security agencies to manage the situation and remained committed to human rights standards.
