Protests, gunfire and a curfew have hit Minna after detained gold miners died in a packed detention cell, with Nigeria’s president ordering a full investigation.
Thirty-seven men suspected of illegal gold mining died on Thursday while held in the custody of a paramilitary civil defence unit in Niger state, central Nigeria, triggering violent protests in the state capital, Minna.
Survivors who spoke to journalists on Friday said the deaths happened inside an overcrowded cell with almost no air.
What survivors say happened
Dauda Shehu, speaking at a hospital in the city, said the detainees were "jam-packed in the cell, no ventilation for us to breathe well." He said they banged on the cell door and shouted that people were already dying, but got no response from the guards.
Another survivor, who did not give his name, said he lived because he was standing near the cell entrance where the air was better. He said the detainees screamed that people were dying "one after the other" and were not believed.
A third survivor, speaking in Hausa at the residence of Niger state governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, said the cell was so tight that detainees were ordered to stand so everybody could fit. He said a substance resembling perfume was sprayed inside, after which some men began to collapse. He described sore throats, burning eyes, coughing and no water.
An intelligence report seen by the news agency AFP points to overcrowding and poor ventilation as the cause of death. The civil defence body had at first said disease was responsible.
Streets on fire, then a curfew
Anger spilled into Minna, where crowds blocked a main road and attacked a transport depot, a bank, political party offices and private businesses. Police fired shots to break up the crowds. It was not clear whether they used anti-riot pellets or live rounds.
The state government has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew to calm the situation.
A 40-second video circulating online, said to show the victims, features dozens of young men in shorts lying on open ground. Many appear to be teenagers.
One father, Mallam Abdullahi, said his son Salim, the family's breadwinner, left home three days earlier to go mining and never came back. "We need justice," he told reporters.
Government response
A civil defence commander has been suspended. President Bola Tinubu ordered what he called a "full and transparent investigation" and said suspicion of illegal mining does not strip anyone of the right to life and humane treatment. He said deaths caused by official negligence or dereliction of duty would not be tolerated.
Why this resonates in Ghana
Niger state is rich in minerals and draws thousands of artisanal miners hoping to strike gold. Officials and analysts say armed gangs, known locally as bandits, tax those miners and take a share of the ore in exchange for access to pits. The state has also seen a wave of kidnappings in recent weeks.
For Ghanaian readers following galamsey enforcement at home, the case raises the same hard question: how detained small-scale miners are treated once they are in state hands.
Reported first by Africanews on 2026-09-19. This article was written for our readers based on that report. Follow the link for the original coverage.
