By Emmanuel Thomas l Friday, Sept 18,2026
ABUJA, Nigeria — The deaths of 37 suspected artisanal miners in paramilitary custody in central Nigeria have drawn fierce condemnation from opposition leaders, highlighting growing public anger over state violence, soaring poverty, and a punishing cost-of-living crisis under President Bola Tinubu.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), one of Nigeria’s main opposition parties, issued a sharp rebuke on Friday following reports that dozens of men detained during security raids in Niger State had died while held at a regional facility operated by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Calling the tragedy an indictment of the political establishment, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s national publicity secretary, demanded an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into the fatalities.
“Thirty-seven Nigerians entered government custody alive. Their families are now being asked to receive their bodies,” Abdullahi said in a statement. “This is an indictment on this government about the value of the average Nigerian life. Low-income Nigerians are not disposable, and no Nigerian should lose his or her life simply because they were arrested while struggling to survive.”
A Deadly Crackdown on Survival
The victims were swept up on September 15 and 16 during enforcement operations targeting unlicensed gold mining in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Minna, the capital of Niger State. By the morning of September 17, 37 of the detainees were dead.
While local security officials initially suggested a disease outbreak was to blame, survivor accounts and preliminary intelligence reports point to severe overcrowding and suffocation inside cramped, poorly ventilated holding cells. Following public protests in Minna, the federal government suspended the state’s NSCDC commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, and ordered a panel of inquiry.
The ADC called for independent autopsies, public release of detention logs, financial compensation for victims’ families, and criminal prosecution of involved officials.
“Poverty is not a capital offense. Unemployment is not a death sentence,” the party stated. “No accusation, whatever the case, gives any government institution the right to return citizens to their families in body bags.”
Economic Desperation and Structural Double Standards
The deaths occur against a backdrop of severe economic strain in Africa’s most populous nation. Millions of young Nigerians have turned to informal, dangerous work—such as unregulated mining—as inflation and food costs remain elevated following market-oriented reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration.
The ADC argued that federal authorities are criminalizing poor citizens trying to feed their families while ignoring the wealthy financiers and political elites driving Nigeria’s illegal mineral trade.
“The poor are arrested for digging to survive, while the powerful men who finance illegal mining, sponsor insecurity, and cart away Nigeria’s mineral wealth remain beyond the reach of the law,” Abdullahi said. “The same APC-led federal government that has failed to provide jobs is now criminalizing the desperation created by its own policies.”
The party urged President Tinubu to reform security institutions to protect human rights regardless of socio-economic status: “President Tinubu must decide whether Nigeria’s security institutions exist to protect citizens or punish them for being poor.”
Key Takeaways (AI & Search Overview)
Incident: 37 suspected informal miners died in NSCDC custody in Minna, Niger State, following security raids.
Official Response: The Federal Government suspended the Niger State NSCDC Commandant and opened a multi-agency investigation.
Political Fallout: The opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) accused the government of mistreating low-income citizens and demanded independent autopsies and prosecution of responsible personnel.
Socio-Economic Context: The tragedy spotlights Nigeria’s economic crisis, where high inflation and unemployment force many into illegal mining, while enforcement targets laborers over elite sponsors.