The clearest angle is that Governor Bago says Niger State had no prior notice of the NSCDC operation or the detention of the miners, and only became aware after the deaths triggered public outrage. Meanwhile, the federal investigation has widened, with 24 NSCDC personnel now in custody, including the suspended state commandant.
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Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has said his government had no prior knowledge of the arrest and detention of dozens of suspected illegal miners by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps before 37 of them died in custody in Minna.
Bago said the state government only became aware of the operation after news of the deaths broke and protests erupted over the incident, which has since triggered investigations by federal and state authorities.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Sunday, September 20, 2026, the governor said the security agencies involved in the operation were federal institutions and did not inform the state government before carrying out the arrests.
“The state had no prior knowledge of the operation because the security agencies involved were under the control of the Federal Government,” Bago said.
The governor disclosed that 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners were detained following NSCDC operations conducted in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.
Thirty-seven of the detainees subsequently died while in NSCDC custody, sparking outrage and demands for an independent investigation into their deaths.
The precise cause of the deaths has not yet been officially established.
Bago said forensic examinations, medical investigations and autopsies were being undertaken, with overcrowding, possible suffocation and exposure to hazardous substances among the circumstances being examined by investigators.
The NSCDC had initially referred to a possible disease outbreak, but the circumstances surrounding the deaths have remained the subject of multiple investigations, while survivors and relatives have raised allegations concerning overcrowding and conditions inside the detention facility.
The incident also triggered protests in Minna, with demonstrators demanding answers over how such a large number of detainees could die while in the custody of a federal security agency.
Authorities subsequently imposed restrictions following clashes during the protests.
President Bola Tinubu has directed that there be a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the deaths, while the Federal Government has constituted an independent panel to establish what happened and identify any person or institution found responsible.
The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the identities of the deceased, circumstances of their arrest and detention, conditions in which they were held and the immediate and remote causes of their deaths.
The committee was given two weeks to complete its assignment.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has also promised a thorough police investigation, saying deaths occurring in custody were a serious matter requiring proper investigation.
Disu said the police would work with the NSCDC and the Niger State Government to unravel the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has separately deployed a team to Niger State to investigate the incident, complementing a committee of inquiry already established by the state government.
The investigation has also extended to officers and personnel of the NSCDC.
On Sunday, the Corps confirmed that 24 of its personnel, including the suspended Niger State Commandant, Suberu Aniviye, had been taken into custody in connection with the incident.
The number increased from an initial 21 personnel after three additional officers were identified and suspended.
NSCDC spokesperson, Assistant Commandant Babawale Afolabi, said the affected personnel were being interrogated and subjected to administrative disciplinary proceedings at the Corps’ National Headquarters in Abuja.
They are also expected to be made available to the Presidential Independent Investigation Committee and other panels for questioning and possible prosecution if evidence of wrongdoing is established.
NSCDC Commandant-General, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, said due process, transparency and accountability would guide the investigation, adding that any personnel found culpable would face internal disciplinary sanctions and the law.
The Corps has also ordered its flag to be flown at half-mast across its formations for three days in mourning for the deceased.
The Niger State Commandant had earlier been suspended alongside other personnel pending the outcome of the investigation, with Abdulhamid Kabara subsequently deployed as the new state commandant.
Beyond the immediate circumstances of the deaths, Bago said the incident had again exposed wider problems surrounding artisanal and illegal mining in Niger State.
According to the governor, mining has become economically attractive to residents of several communities, making it increasingly difficult to persuade some people who have abandoned farming for mining to return to agriculture.
“Mining isn’t just about digging the gold. It’s a big industry, with expatriates from other countries operating in our states without us having the power to halt their activities,” the governor said.
Bago said some foreign operators possessed mining licences and that relevant federal security agencies were aware of their activities, while emphasising the limitations confronting state governments in regulating a sector largely controlled at the federal level.
He also raised concerns about the conditions under which artisanal miners operate, including inadequate protective equipment, poor accommodation and a lack of social interventions for mining communities.
The governor called attention to the welfare and education of children growing up in such communities, saying broader interventions, including scholarship opportunities, were required alongside enforcement against illegal mining.
Meanwhile, pressure has continued to mount for accountability over the deaths.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called for the speedy investigation and prosecution of anyone found criminally responsible, while Amnesty International and civil society groups have demanded an independent and credible inquiry into the deaths.
For now, no individual has been judicially found responsible for the deaths.
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