Nigeria orders inquiry into 37 custody deaths as protests bring Minna curfew
Nigeria ordered an investigation on September 18, 2026, after 37 suspected illegal miners died in civil defence custody in Minna. Protests prompted tear gas and an overnight curfew; the cause of death remains unresolved.
In short
- Nigeria ordered an investigation on September 18, 2026, after 37 suspected illegal miners died in civil defence custody in Minna.
- Protests prompted tear gas and an overnight curfew; the cause of death remains unresolved.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu ordered an investigation on September 18, 2026, after 37 people detained on suspicion of illegal mining died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger state.
Protests over the deaths continued on September 18. Police fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators, and authorities imposed an overnight curfew, according to reporting by The Guardian and The Associated Press.
The detainees were found dead on September 17 after arrests during mining enforcement operations on September 15 and 16. Niger state Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago confirmed the death toll, The Guardian reported. The state commandant of the civil defence corps was suspended pending an investigation.
The cause of death remains unresolved. The corps initially cited a suspected illness, while survivors described overcrowding and difficulty breathing in a poorly ventilated cell. Those accounts do not establish a medical finding or individual responsibility.
A September 18 statement from Nigeria’s presidency said the inquiry should examine the arrests, detention conditions, medical attention and circumstances leading to the deaths. Its outcome will be central to determining accountability.
