Nigeria police fire tear gas at protesters gathering over the deaths of 37 miners in custody

Protests erupted in Minna, a city in central Nigeria, after 37 detainees died in the custody of a paramilitary force during raids on suspected illegal gold mines. Reuters reported that 33 bodies were found at General Hospital in Minna, the capital of Niger State, on Thursday. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) confirmed that 37 detainees had died after being held in raids on suspected illegal mines between September 15 and 16 in the Wushishi-Lukoto area west of Minna.

Initially, the NSCDC suggested a suspected disease outbreak may have caused the deaths, but it later stated the cause of death was still under investigation.

Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo ordered the suspension of the NSCDC commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, pending a full investigation. The mother of one of the detainees, Shafa atu Suleiman, expressed her anger at the hospital, stating that her son Abdullahi was found in a cramped cell and later died. She complained that officials refused to let relatives bring food to the detainees and demanded 100,000 naira ($75) for their release.

Protests erupted in Minna on Thursday night, with youths chanting "Justice must be done." Some protesters damaged vehicles. By Friday morning, the city was calm, but security forces remained heavily deployed across parts of Minna. Nigeria has been trying to curb unauthorized mining across the country, as illegal mining damages the environment and leads to losses of government revenue.