Nigeria illegal mining deaths and protests 2026
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Nigerian forces fire at protesters rallying over deaths of detained miners
Nigerian security forces opened fire on protesters.
37 miners died in detention this week.
A Nigerian paramilitary agency raided a suspected illegal mine.
Nigerian forces fire at protesters over deaths of detained miners
Niger State is home to vast deposits of mineral resources, including gold and uranium.
Survivor Dauda Shehu said detainees were jam-packed in the cell with no ventilation and that guards refused to answer their appeals.
37 miners died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Nigerian police investigate death in custody of 37 illegal mining suspects
The father of a surviving detainee said his son survived because he was near a small window.
The detainees had not been charged because profiling and documentation were still under way before the deaths.
37 people accused of illegal mining died in custody in Niger State, Nigeria.
“The NSCDC wishes to clarify that reports attributing the deaths to any specific disease remain subject to medical and laboratory confirmation,”