The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has ordered an investigation into the deaths of suspected illegal miners arrested in Niger State, following concerns over what happened to them while in detention.
The NSCDC said its Commandant General, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, approved the investigation after some of the suspects arrested during anti-illegal mining operations died in custody.
The suspects were among those arrested by the Niger State Command during operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas on September 15 and 16, 2026.
Reports from the state indicated that 33 detainees died and that the bodies were discovered in the early hours of Thursday at an NSCDC facility in Minna.
The Niger State Command had linked the deaths to a suspected outbreak of disease among the detainees.
But the Corps’ national headquarters has distanced itself from any definitive conclusion on the cause of death, saying medical and laboratory tests are required before the cause can be established.
The NSCDC National Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, said on Thursday that Audi had constituted a high-powered investigative team to examine the incident.
The team will be headed by the Deputy Commandant General responsible for Intelligence and Investigation.
According to Afolabi, investigators will establish what happened from the point of arrest through the period the suspects spent in custody.
Among the issues to be examined are the physical condition of the suspects when they were arrested, their detention conditions, the medical care they received and other circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The development comes as the circumstances surrounding the deaths remain unclear, including when the detainees first became ill and what medical interventions, if any, were provided before their deaths.
The NSCDC said the investigation would be based on established facts rather than speculation.
Afolabi said, “NSCDC has confirmed the death of some suspected illegal miners who were arrested during enforcement operations conducted in parts of Niger State on September 15 and 16, 2026.”
He added that the investigative team had been directed to “immediately look into the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
The Commandant General also directed the Corps to give priority to the health and welfare of detainees still in custody.
The NSCDC said it was taking measures to safeguard personnel who may have come into contact with the affected detainees.
The Corps also appealed for calm from the families of those who died and assured them that the circumstances surrounding the incident would be thoroughly investigated.
Afolabi specifically cautioned against attributing the deaths to a particular disease before the conclusion of medical examinations.
“The NSCDC wishes to clarify that reports attributing the deaths to any specific disease remain subject to medical and laboratory confirmation,” he said.
He said the Corps would await the outcome of the medical examination before making further conclusions.
The investigation is expected to determine not only the cause of the deaths but also whether the suspects received appropriate medical attention and whether the conditions of their detention contributed to the incident.
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