Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has imposed a 24-hour curfew in Minna following protests and destruction of property triggered by the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
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The curfew, announced on Friday, September 18, 2026, was ordered to take effect immediately after the Jumu’ah prayers and remain in force until further notice, with residents directed to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary movement. Security agencies were also directed to enforce the restriction and protect lives and property.
Bago said the restriction became necessary after the protests deteriorated into vandalism, alleging that government property, buses belonging to the state transport company, a bank, political party offices and private businesses had been attacked.
“Immediately after the Friday mosque, we are putting a 24-hour curfew here,” the governor said.
“The State Transport Company, all the buses we have there have been vandalised. Sterling Bank, hit. Party offices destroyed, people’s businesses destroyed,” he added.
According to Bago, the government was concerned that vandals were taking advantage of the unrest, making restrictions necessary to prevent further destruction and restore calm.
“Vandals are taking over the street, and there’s need for us to, you know, curtail this thing so that we can have calm in the society,” he said, while appealing to residents to exercise restraint.
The protests erupted in parts of Minna, including Tunga, Maitumbi and Bosso Road, over the deaths of 37 persons arrested during NSCDC operations against suspected illegal mining activities. Security personnel were subsequently deployed across the state capital as tension increased.
Governor Bago had earlier confirmed that 37 suspected illegal miners died while detained at an NSCDC facility and said forensic examinations and autopsies were being undertaken to establish the cause of death. The state government has also constituted a committee of inquiry into the incident.
The deceased were among persons arrested during enforcement operations on September 15 and 16 around the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis as part of efforts to curb suspected illegal mining. The precise cause of their deaths has not yet been medically established.
Following the incident, Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo ordered a full-scale investigation, while the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, and other relevant officers were directed to step aside pending the inquiry.
The Niger State Government has also cancelled an APC rally scheduled for Saturday in Minna and declared three days of mourning in honour of the deceased.
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