BY UTHMAN BABA-NASEER-MINNA
Tension and anguish gripped Minna on Thursday following the reported deaths of more than 30 suspected illegal miners detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Niger State Command.
The deceased were among scores of persons arrested during a “burst operation” conducted by the Corps on September 15 and 16, 2026, at mining sites around M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto Village in the Minna area.
The NSCDC, in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by the Niger State Commandant, Comdt. Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, said the detainees died following what it described as a suspected outbreak of disease.
According to the Command, the bodies have been deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, where medical examination is expected to establish the actual cause of death.
The incident has, however, triggered serious concerns among relatives of those arrested, with hundreds of distressed parents and family members reportedly gathering at the NSCDC headquarters in Minna, desperately seeking information on the whereabouts and condition of their loved ones.
Many of those at the command headquarters were said to be women, with some reportedly wailing and demanding to know whether their relatives were among the deceased.
Security was also tightened around the NSCDC headquarters, with personnel of the Army and Police reportedly deployed to strategic positions to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
Commandant: Arrests followed illegal mining concerns
Speaking to journalists in his office in Minna before the release of the official statement, Commandant Aniviye said the operation was part of efforts to curb illegal mining activities which, according to him, had caused destruction to farmlands and residential properties.
He said the operation followed concerns expressed by Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, over the activities of artisanal miners in the affected communities.
The Commandant explained that the NSCDC had previously arrested suspected illegal miners and released them after issuing warnings, but claimed that the practice had failed to stop the return of some of the suspects to mining sites.
He said the latest operation was therefore undertaken to enforce the government's directive and address the recurring problem.
The Commandant said the Corps had been preparing to take the arrested persons to court when the deaths were discovered in the detention facility in the early hours of Thursday.
Relatives dispute illegal-mining allegations
The arrests and deaths have generated anxiety because some relatives alleged that not everyone taken into custody was involved in illegal mining.
One woman, identified as Gloria, who spoke about her sister's arrest, alleged that her sister was working on a farm when Civil Defence personnel arrested her.
“My sister was working on the farm when the officers swooped on her and claimed that she was an illegal miner. Even when she protested and explained, they refused to listen to her and bundled her into their awaiting van,” she said.
Gloria alleged that the only implements found on her sister were a hoe and a cutlass, which she said were being used for farming.
There were also claims that a significant number of those arrested were very young persons, with some relatives alleging that children between the ages of nine and 14 were among those detained.
Women were also reportedly among the detainees.
The allegations could not independently be verified as of the time of filing this report, while the NSCDC has maintained that those arrested were suspected illegal miners.
NSCDC: Investigation to establish cause of deaths
In its official statement titled “Arrest of Suspected Illegal Miners at M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto Village and Deaths Following Suspected Outbreak of Disease,” the NSCDC confirmed that scores of suspected illegal miners had been arrested and various exhibits recovered during the September 15–16 operation.
The Corps said the deaths occurred in the early hours of September 17.
It stressed that the cause of death had not yet been conclusively established, describing the disease outbreak as “suspected” and stating that medical examination would be conducted to determine the actual cause.
The Command appealed to members of the public and relatives of the deceased to remain calm and refrain from actions capable of causing a breakdown of law and order.
The NSCDC further stated that it was working with sister security agencies to manage the situation.
The Corps also reaffirmed its commitment to human rights and said it subscribes to international human rights charters while carrying out its statutory responsibility of protecting lives and property as well as critical national assets and infrastructure.
Niger State Government yet to officially react
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from the Niger State Government on the reported deaths or on the circumstances surrounding the arrests.
The incident is expected to attract further scrutiny, particularly regarding the identities and ages of those arrested, the circumstances surrounding their detention, the medical condition of the detainees before their deaths, and the outcome of the medical examination expected to determine the precise cause of death.
For the bereaved families who gathered at the NSCDC headquarters, however, the immediate concern remained the whereabouts of their relatives and obtaining official confirmation of those who died.
The Corps, in its statement, expressed condolences to the families and prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased.
