Names of 37 Miners Who Died in NSCDC Custody in Niger State Released

Authorities have made public the names of 37 men suspected of illegal mining who died while being held by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Niger State. The men had been detained during NSCDC operations targeting illegal mining in the state on September 15 and 16, 2026. In the early hours of September 17, 37 of those detained were discovered dead, with many reported to have foam around their mouths. The NSCDC initially said the deaths resulted from a suspected disease outbreak. It stated that the bodies had been taken to the General Hospital in Minna for medical examination to determine the actual cause of death. That explanation drew anger from Nigerians, who disputed the account and called for an investigation. After youths protested over the incident, Governor Mohammed Bago imposed a 24-hour curfew on Friday, September 17. The governor also said some survivors had been taken to hospital for treatment, while others were reunited with their families after the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services, DSS, took their statements. The names of those who died in NSCDC custody are: 1. Ibrahim Sani 2. Fahad Saadu 3. Abdulsalam Ismail 4. Usman Aliyu 5. Abubakar Alhaji 6. Sani Nasir 7. Sanusi Khalid 8. Ahmad Aliyu 9. Safiyanu Abdullahi 10. Suleiman Dantala 11. Idris Haruna 12. Sani Yakubu 13. Safiyanu Abubakar 14. Abdullahi Abubakar 15. Abubakar Musa 16. Abdul Mudassir 17. Suleiman Lawal 18. Usman Abdullahi 19. Samuel Sambo 20. Ibrahim Musa 21. Yusuf Nasiru 22. Umar Lawal 23. Isyaku Amisu 24. Bissallah Adamu 25. Abdulbari Suleiman 26. Shafisu Lado 27. Usman Ahmad 28. Usman Ibrahim 29. Sani Isyaku 30. Musa Ibrahim 31. Idris Bashir 32. Kabiru Suleiman 33. Emmanuel Emeka 34. Muawiya AbdulKarim 35. Abdul Gafar Abubakar 36. Usman Haruna 37. Aro Salihu Soba