On 17 September 2026, 37 young men and boys, arrested on suspicion of illegal mining, were found dead in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State. Many of the deceased were teenagers, some as young as 14 or 15. The suspects had been rounded up on 15 and 16 September during enforcement operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Minna. The circumstances of the deaths remain contested and opaque, sparking public outrage, protests, and calls for an independent investigation.
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