18/09/2026
Niger State Governor Umar Bago has confirmed the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna.
Bago confirmed the incident on Thursday during a press conference in Minna, describing the deaths as tragic
The governor said the cause of death had not been established, but noted that suffocation or lead poisoning could be among the possible causes.
He added that the state government had constituted a committee of inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Bago also appealed to youths in the state to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands.