Nigeria Suspends NSCDC Commander After 33 Detainees Die in Custody, Sparking Minna Protests
Updated
Updated · CNN · Sep 18
Nigeria Suspends NSCDC Commander After 33 Detainees Die in Custody, Sparking Minna Protests
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Sep 18
Summary
33 bodies were filmed at Minna’s General Hospital after detainees arrested in September 15-16 raids on suspected illegal gold mines were found dead in NSCDC custody.
Nigeria’s interior minister suspended Niger State NSCDC commandant Suberu Siyaka Aniviye and ordered a full investigation after the agency first cited a possible disease outbreak, then said the cause was still unestablished pending medical exams.
Minna residents protested overnight, chanting “Justice must be done” and damaging some vehicles; by Friday morning the city was calm but heavily patrolled by security forces.
The deaths add pressure to Nigeria’s long-running crackdown on illegal mining, which authorities say drains revenue and harms the environment across thousands of informal sites.