Security forces opened fire on protesters in central Nigeria on Friday as hundreds of people demonstrated over the deaths of 37 miners while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The detainees were found dead on Thursday in NSCDC cells in Minna, the capital of Niger State, after officers carried out raids on suspected illegal gold-mining sites and detained dozens of miners.
Anger over the deaths sparked clashes overnight and continued into Friday despite government promises of an investigation and the suspension of senior officials.
Witnesses said security personnel fired live ammunition as demonstrators demanded justice. Some protesters were carrying sticks, machetes and traditional hunting rifles, while others attempted to set fire to government buildings in Minna’s Tunga neighbourhood.
At least one body was seen lying in the street as soldiers and police deployed across the city in an effort to restore order.
“We are not thieves — we are simply seeking a way to make a living by mining,” miner Yusuf Auwal, who joined the protest, said.
The NSCDC said those who died had been detained during operations targeting suspected illegal mines in the Wushishi-Lukoto area between September 15 and 16.
The agency initially suggested that a possible disease outbreak may have contributed to the deaths, but later said the cause had not yet been established and would require medical examination.
Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo ordered the immediate suspension of the NSCDC commandant in Niger State, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, pending the outcome of an investigation.
The Interior Ministry described the incident as “unfortunate” and said a full inquiry would be carried out.
However, the victims were buried late on Thursday in accordance with Islamic tradition, raising questions over whether authorities will still be able to conduct the forensic examinations needed to establish how they died.
Shafa’atu Suleiman, the mother of one of the detainees, said she had visited her son Abdullahi in custody and found him being held in a severely overcrowded NSCDC cell before later being told he had died.
She also alleged that officials refused to allow relatives to bring food to detainees and demanded 100,000 naira for their release.
“This is injustice. We will not forgive them,” she said.
The NSCDC did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations.
Nigeria has for years sought to crack down on unauthorised mining at thousands of informal sites across the country. Authorities say illegal operations cause environmental damage and deprive the government of revenue.
