Parents of miners who died in NSCDC custody demand compensation

The parents of artisanal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, are demanding compensation. According to the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners were arrested by the NSCDC during enforcement operations on September 15 and 16, 2026, and held in a cell, before 37 of them died in custody.

The cause of death is still being investigated, with the governor suggesting possible causes including suffocation due to overcrowding and exposure to hazardous substances associated with mining activities. The NSCDC initially suggested a disease outbreak might have been responsible, but later clarified that the cause had not been determined.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the United Nations to intervene in the matter, calling for an urgent investigation into the deaths and the reported use of lethal force against protesters in Minna. The organization has demanded that the Nigerian authorities provide answers and ensure that the truth about the deaths is established.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, Punch Nigeria, Ripples Nigeria — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.