…Amnesty International Nigeria has called for an independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the deaths
…The Niger State Government has cancelled an APC political rally that had been scheduled for Saturday in Minna and declared three days of mourning for the victims
FRI SEPT 18 2026-theGBJournal| Security forces in Niger State fired live ammunition as hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Minna on Friday to demand answers over the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The shootings came as anger mounted over the deaths of the suspected illegal mining Thursday in the custody of NSCDC.
Our contributors in Minna say protesters were pelted with live ammunitions following confrontation with police and other security personnel.
At least one body was seen lying on the streets, although the number of people killed or injured during the protest had not been independently established at the time of reporting.
The unrest prompted Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago to impose a 24-hour curfew across Minna, beginning immediately after Friday’s Jumu’at prayers.
The governor said the restriction was necessary after protesters allegedly vandalised public and private property, including government facilities, a bank, political party offices and businesses.
“Immediately after the Friday mosque, we are putting a 24-hour curfew here,” Mr Bago told reporters.
“The State Transport Company, all the buses we have there have been vandalised. Sterling Bank, hit. Party offices destroyed, people’s businesses destroyed,” he said.
He appealed to residents to remain calm and exercise restraint.
“So, we call on Nigerlites, please, to exercise restraint and be patient,” the governor said.
The Governor has also announced the suspension of all mining activities in Niger State have been suspended, whether legal or illegal, saying, ”there is collaboration between the state and federal governments to subject all mining sites to tests.”
This was announced as he hosted and addressed the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo who led a Federal Government delegation to condole with the State Government today.
Governor Bago had confirmed the death toll on Thursday and said the state government had begun forensic, medical and autopsy examinations to establish what happened.
“The most important is that people died in the custody of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps. They were detained in their cells, and this morning we woke up to the news that 37 of them had died,” he said.
The NSCDC has since set up an investigative team to examine the condition of the detainees when they were arrested, their time in custody, the detention conditions and the medical attention they received.
Amnesty International Nigeria has called for an independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the deaths.
The organisation said the investigation should examine the arrests, the circumstances in which the detainees were held and how the detention resulted in the deaths of 37 people, including alleged minors.
“This loss of lives cannot go unanswered,” Amnesty said, calling for justice and effective remedies for the victims’ families.
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has similarly called for an independent investigation, arguing that the NSCDC should not be the sole body investigating an incident involving its own personnel.
It called for a broader panel involving forensic experts, medical professionals, the National Human Rights Commission and civil society representatives.
Human-rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju described the deaths as a “crime against humanity” and called for anyone found responsible through unlawful acts, torture, deliberate mistreatment or criminal negligence to face prosecution.
The Niger State Government has cancelled an All Progressives Congress (APC) political rally that had been scheduled for Saturday in Minna and declared three days of mourning for the victims.
The government said the cancellation was in respect of the deceased and their families.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has also dispatched a team of officials to Niger State to investigate the deaths and establish the facts surrounding the incident.
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