Niger State Governor Umaru Bago who confirmed that 37 persons died in the incident, said last night that the state commandant of NSCDC, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, had been placed on suspension.
Earlier, the state Commandant said the suspects died in detention following a suspected outbreak of disease in the early hours of Thursday.
He said the victims were among illegal miners arrested at the Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Housing Estate and Lukoto village.
However, Aniviye did not disclose the number of deaths or the disease suspected to have caused them.
Relatives of the deceased and residents, however, put the death toll at 37.
“The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Niger State Command, in its renewed efforts to rid the state of illegal mining activities, conducted a “burst operation” on 15th and 16th September, 2026, leading to the arrest of suspected illegal miners and the recovery of exhibits.
“The operation yielded significant results, with scores of suspected illegal miners arrested and various exhibits recovered.
“However, in the early hours of 17th September 2026, scores of the detained suspects were found dead, following a suspected outbreak of disease,” Aniviye said in the statement.
He said the corpses of the deceased suspects have been deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for further medical examination to establish the actual cause of death.
