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NSCDC Orders Probe Into 37 Miners’ Deaths in Niger
NSCDC probes miners’ deaths after 37 suspected illegal miners died in custody in Niger. Medical and police inquiries seek the cause
Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Commandant General, Prof Ahmed Abubakar Audi, on Thursday, 17 September 2026, ordered a high-powered investigation in Minna, Niger State, into the deaths of suspected illegal miners who died in NSCDC custody after enforcement operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas on 15 and 16 September.
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The decision followed the discovery of multiple detainees dead at an NSCDC facility in Minna in the early hours of Thursday, prompting concern over their treatment in custody and questions about what happened between their arrest and their deaths.
The number of deaths was initially reported by several Nigerian outlets as 33, while Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago later put the toll at 37.
The differing figures reflect the uncertainty surrounding the incident in its early stages, although the governor’s confirmation has since provided the clearest official figure.
Audi directed the Deputy Commandant General responsible for Intelligence and Investigation to lead the inquiry.
The panel is expected to examine the condition of the detainees when they were arrested, the circumstances and duration of their detention, the conditions in which they were held, the medical attention available to them and any other factor that may have contributed to the deaths.
The remains have been deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for medical examination.
The NSCDC has stressed that the actual cause of death has not yet been established and has cautioned against treating claims about a particular disease as confirmed fact before laboratory and medical findings are available.
Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, the suspended Niger State NSCDC Commandant, had earlier said the detainees were found dead following what the state command described as a suspected disease outbreak.
The NSCDC national leadership subsequently emphasised that the cause remained subject to confirmation.
The Federal Government has since suspended Aniviye and ordered a full investigation. Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said the incident was unfortunate and that the government would establish what happened under the command’s watch.
The minister said, “It is an unfortunate incident, however, a full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended.”
The Niger State Police Command has also opened a separate investigation. Commissioner of Police Adamu Abdullahi Elleman directed the State Criminal Investigation Department in Minna to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and called on relatives and members of the public with credible information to assist investigators.
Governor Bago has described the deaths as “sad” and “tragic” and announced three days of mourning across Niger State. The governor also postponed the planned start of political campaigning in the state in response to the loss of life.
Beyond the official response, accounts from survivors and relatives have introduced a second and deeply troubling account of the final hours inside the detention facility.
Dauda Shehu, identified as a survivor, told journalists that the detainees had been held in a confined and poorly ventilated space.
Shehu alleged that those inside struggled for fresh air before some began collapsing. His account has not been independently established and is among the claims investigators will need to test against medical evidence and other testimony.
Reports citing an intelligence assessment similarly raised overcrowding and poor ventilation as possible factors, although these claims remain part of the investigative picture rather than an established finding.
The NSCDC has maintained that it will await medical and laboratory evidence before determining the cause of death.
The human dimension has become particularly stark for families who say they had expected their relatives to return home after the enforcement operation.
Some relatives told local media that they had visited detainees during their period in custody and were seeking answers about how people arrested over alleged illegal mining came to die within days of their detention.
The arrests themselves formed part of a wider NSCDC campaign against illegal mining, an activity that authorities regard as a threat to natural resources, government revenue and security.
Niger State is rich in mineral deposits and has attracted substantial artisanal mining activity, including gold mining.
The enforcement operation therefore sits within a legitimate state effort to curb unregulated extraction. At the same time, the deaths have placed the conditions of detention and the duty of care owed to people in custody under intense scrutiny.
For the NSCDC, the immediate challenge is to pursue that mining enforcement mandate while demonstrating that the welfare and legal rights of people detained during such operations are protected.
The Corps has directed that the health and welfare of detainees currently in custody receive the highest priority and said measures are being taken to protect personnel who may have been exposed to any illness associated with the incident.
The investigation will now have to reconcile the competing accounts with medical findings, custody records, witness testimony and other available evidence.
Until that process is complete, claims about disease, suffocation, overcrowding or other causes remain allegations or investigative possibilities rather than established conclusions.
For the families, however, the questions are immediate and personal: how their relatives died, whether their welfare was adequately protected while in custody, and whether responsibility should follow if investigators find that procedures were breached.
Also read: NSCDC Nabs 13 Suspects After Multi-State Sweep on Cable Theft, Cars and Trafficking
The coming medical and investigative findings are therefore likely to be crucial not only in determining the cause of the 37 deaths but also in establishing whether any failures occurred during the arrests, detention or medical care of the suspected illegal miners.
Uba Sani denies rift with Nasir El-Rufai, reaffirming his respect for the former Kaduna governor amid detention and political tensions
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, told Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme that he had never spoken ill of his predecessor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, as questions over their relationship continued to attract attention in Kaduna State and Nigeria’s political circles.
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The governor’s remarks came as El-Rufai remained in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), following his detention in February and amid ongoing court proceedings over allegations of financial misconduct.
Sani insisted that his respect for the former governor remained intact, while distancing himself from a supporter’s reported call for El-Rufai to remain detained until after the next election.
“Honestly speaking, I have no problem with him (El-Rufai). If you listen to me carefully, I have never spoken anything bad about him, and I will never speak anything bad about him,” Sani said during the interview.
The governor also rejected any suggestion that a statement made by a political supporter represented his own position.
“The person that made that statement was speaking for himself. He was not speaking for me,” he said.
Sani declined to disclose details of any private efforts he might have made regarding El-Rufai’s situation, explaining that respect did not always require public declarations. He maintained that his approach to the former governor had been consistent since he assumed office in May 2023.
“As a matter of respect, many things I’ve done to show my respect for him, my regard for him, I don’t think I should come out and say it,” Sani said.
The comments offer a measured response to a relationship that has become a recurring subject of political debate since the two men, once close allies, began to drift apart.
El-Rufai governed Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023 and supported Sani’s bid to succeed him. Before becoming governor, Sani served as a senator representing Kaduna Central and held advisory roles during El-Rufai’s political career.
Their alliance was therefore rooted in years of shared political work, making subsequent disagreements particularly significant for the state’s political landscape.
Tensions became more visible after Sani took office, particularly over the financial legacy of the previous administration.
In 2024, the Kaduna State House of Assembly initiated a probe into allegations involving the former administration’s finances, while Sani’s government raised concerns about the state’s debt and liabilities.
El-Rufai and his associates subsequently criticised aspects of the new administration, deepening public speculation about the relationship between the two camps.
El-Rufai publicly questioned the closeness of the relationship in August 2025, saying that Sani had never been his friend, even as he acknowledged the political history between them. The remarks added to perceptions of a widening divide between the former governor and his successor.
Sani’s latest comments, however, focused on his stated preference for respect and consultation rather than public exchanges.
He cited his continued engagement with former Kaduna governors, including Ahmed Makarfi, whom he said he consulted on road construction projects.
The governor referred specifically to the road linking Soba and Zaria, explaining that discussions with Makarfi had helped inform his approach to the project.
Sani also said he had consulted former Vice-President Namadi Sambo on a project design, including the design of the Government House.
“When you are sitting as a governor, you don’t have a monopoly of wisdom. The way to succeed is to be humble and listen to people who advise you,” he said.
The remarks provided a glimpse into how Sani says he approaches governance, presenting consultation with former officeholders as a source of practical guidance rather than a sign of political weakness.
They also shifted attention towards the responsibilities of public office at a time when political disagreements have frequently overshadowed policy discussions in Kaduna.
El-Rufai’s legal situation remains a separate but closely watched dimension of the controversy. On 13 October 2026, Channels Television reported that the former governor appeared before the Kaduna State High Court for the continuation of his trial over alleged financial misconduct.
The appearance followed a Court of Appeal decision dismissing his challenge to the refusal of bail. The allegations remain subject to judicial determination, and El-Rufai has denied wrongdoing.
The legal proceedings have intensified public debate about the relationship between political accountability and the rights of individuals facing criminal allegations.
They have also provided a backdrop for competing political claims about responsibility for El-Rufai’s predicament, including accusations from opposition figures that Sani bears responsibility.
Such claims remain allegations and should not be treated as established facts.
Sani did not directly address the merits of the legal proceedings during the reported interview. Instead, he emphasised that he had not publicly disowned his previous statements about El-Rufai and insisted that his position had remained consistent.
For Kaduna residents, the distinction between personal relationships and the business of government remains important.
The state continues to face development needs that require sustained attention, while disagreements among its political leaders can influence public confidence and the wider political climate ahead of the 2027 elections.
Sani’s latest intervention may help clarify his public position, but it does not resolve the underlying questions surrounding his relationship with El-Rufai.
Whether the two men can move beyond their differences remains uncertain.
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For now, the governor has made his message clear: he says he has never spoken ill of his predecessor and does not intend to do so, even as the political and legal circumstances surrounding El-Rufai continue to evolve.
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