MINNA, Nigeria — Tensions boiled over in central Nigeria following news that 37 suspected illegal gold miners died while held in the custody of a national paramilitary civil defense group. Survivors described scenes of absolute panic inside overcrowded, unventilated cells as detainees struggled for air.
The deaths sparked violent demonstrations in Minna, the capital of mineral-rich Niger State. Mobs erected street blockades, attacking a transport depot, a local bank, political party offices, and private businesses. Security forces fired shots to disperse the crowds, though it was not immediately clear whether officers used live ammunition or anti-riot rubber pellets. To restore order, the state government declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
Survivors Recount Agony and Neglect
Outrage mounted across the region as survivor testimony directly contradicted early claims by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) that the deaths stemmed from a disease outbreak. An internal intelligence report and eyewitness accounts pointed instead to acute suffocation caused by extreme overcrowding.
“We were jam-packed in the cell, no ventilation for us to breathe well,” survivor Dauda Shehu told reporters from a city hospital bed. “All of a sudden we realised that we could not breathe and we were all scampering for where to get fresh air. We even appealed to them several times, banged the cell door, but they refused to answer us. Several times, we raised alarm that some people are already dying because of suffocation, nobody answered us.”
Another survivor, who requested anonymity, said he survived only because he was positioned near the cell door where air was accessible. “We were screaming for help,” he said, recalling how detainees warned guards that “people are dying one after the other, [but] they did not believe us.”
A 40-second video circulated on social media purported to show the aftermath, featuring dozens of young men clad only in shorts sprawled on the ground outdoors. Most of the victims appeared to be teenagers.
Grieving relatives gathered near local facilities demanding answers. Mallam Abdullahi, whose son Salim left home three days prior for mining work and never returned, voiced the pain felt by many families: “They should tell us what truly killed our children… We need justice.”
Federal Probe and Government Response
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu condemned the deaths and ordered an immediate, transparent investigation.
“The fact that these individuals were suspected of illegal mining does not remove their right to life, dignity and humane treatment,” Tinubu stated. “We will not tolerate deaths arising from official negligence, abuse, dereliction of duty or the failure of public officials to protect lives placed under their care.”
The federal government immediately suspended the state’s NSCDC commander pending the probe’s findings.
