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37 Nigerian Miners Die in Custody After Raids on Illegal Gold Sites
Thirty-seven men detained on suspicion of illegal gold mining died in a jail cell in Niger state, triggering protests and a presidential order for an urgent investigation into their treatment.
AI-synthesized from the cited sources below.
MINNA, Nigeria — Thirty-seven men arrested during raids on unlicensed gold mining sites in Nigeria's Niger state died in custody on September 18, 2026, according to authorities and survivor accounts. The men were detained September 15-16 and were later found dead in a jail cell.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease. However, survivor testimony and an intelligence report instead point to overcrowding, intense heat and an unidentified substance combined with inadequate ventilation inside the cell as the likely cause.
President Bola Tinubu ordered a thorough, urgent and transparent investigation into the deaths, and a civil defense commander in the state was suspended pending the probe's outcome. The deaths triggered protests in Minna, the Niger state capital, where police fired shots to disperse demonstrators demanding accountability.
Key facts
- 37 men died in custody in a Niger state jail cell on September 18, 2026.
- They were arrested September 15-16 during raids on unlicensed gold mining sites.
- The NSCDC initially blamed a suspected disease; survivors and an intelligence report point to overcrowding, heat and poor ventilation.
- President Bola Tinubu ordered an urgent, transparent investigation.
- Protests erupted in Minna, and police fired shots to disperse demonstrators.
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