The names of 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Niger State have been released.
The victims were among scores of people arrested during NSCDC operations against suspected illegal mining activities around the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Minna on September 15 and 16, 2026.
The NSCDC initially said some of the detainees were found dead in the early hours of September 17 following what it described as a suspected disease outbreak.
The actual cause of death has not yet been established. Medical and forensic investigations are ongoing.
The Federal Government has suspended the Niger State NSCDC commandant, Suberu Aniviye, and 20 other officers in connection with the incident.
It has also established a 10-member independent committee to investigate the arrests, detention and deaths and determine whether there was responsibility, negligence or misconduct.
The International Human Rights Commission said it obtained an initial list from records at General Hospital, Minna. Four additional names were subsequently added after relatives reported missing family members.
Full list of the 37 victims 1.Ibrahim Sani 2.Fahad Sa’adu 3.Abdulsalam Ismail 4.Usman Aliyu 5.Abubakar Alhaji 6.Sani Nasir 7.Sanusi Khalid 8.Ahmad Aliyu 9. Safiyanu Abdullahi 10.Suleiman Dantala 11.Idris Haruna 12.Sani Yakubu 13.Safiyanu Abubakar 14.Abdullahi Abubakar 15Abubakar Musa 16.Abdul Mudassir 17Suleiman Lawal 18.Usman Abdullahi
19.Samuel Sambo
20.Ibrahim Musa 21.Yusuf Nasiru 22.Umar Lawal 23.Isyaku Amisu 24.Bissallah Adamu 25.Abdulbari Suleiman 26.Shafisu Lado 27.Usman Ahmad 28.Usman Ibrahim 29.Sani Isyaku 30.Musa Ibrahim 31.Idris Bashir 32.Kabiru Suleiman 33.Emmanuel Emeka 34.Mu’awiya AbdulKarim 35.Abdul Gafar Abubakar 36Usman Haruna 37.Yaro Salihu Soba The final four names, according to TheCable, were not included in the initial General Hospital Minna list but were later supplied through reports from relatives.
The deaths have triggered calls for an independent investigation and accountability.
President Bola Tinubu ordered a full and transparent probe, while the Interior Ministry directed investigators to preserve relevant records and evidence.
The Niger State Government has also faced public pressure over the incident. Governor Umar Bago said forensic examinations, medical examinations and autopsies were being conducted to establish what happened to the detainees.
Until the investigations are completed, the circumstances and precise cause of the 37 deaths remain unresolved.
Source: https://yaroinsider.ng/full-list-names-37-miners-died-nscdc-custody/
