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\nThe deceased were among scores of persons arrested during a \u201cburst operation\u201d conducted by the Corps on September 15 and 16, 2026, at mining sites around M.I. Wushishi\/Lukoto Village in the Minna area.
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG-20260917-WA0065.jpg\")
\n\u200eThe NSCDC, in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by the Niger State Commandant, Comdt. Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, said the detainees died following what it described as a suspected outbreak of disease.
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\n\u200eAccording to the Command, the bodies have been deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, where medical examination is expected to establish the actual cause of death.
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\n\u200eThe incident has, however, triggered serious concerns among relatives of those arrested, with hundreds of distressed parents and family members reportedly gathering at the NSCDC headquarters in Minna, desperately seeking information on the whereabouts and condition of their loved ones.
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\n\u200eMany of those at the command headquarters were said to be women, with some reportedly wailing and demanding to know whether their relatives were among the deceased.
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\n\u200eSecurity was also tightened around the NSCDC headquarters, with personnel of the Army and Police reportedly deployed to strategic positions to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
\n\u200eCommandant: Arrests followed illegal mining concerns
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\n\u200eSpeaking to journalists in his office in Minna before the release of the official statement, Commandant Aniviye said the operation was part of efforts to curb illegal mining activities which, according to him, had caused destruction to farmlands and residential properties.
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\n\u200eHe said the operation followed concerns expressed by Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, over the activities of artisanal miners in the affected communities.
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\n\u200eThe Commandant explained that the NSCDC had previously arrested suspected illegal miners and released them after issuing warnings, but claimed that the practice had failed to stop the return of some of the suspects to mining sites.
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\n\u200eHe said the latest operation was therefore undertaken to enforce the government’s directive and address the recurring problem.
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\n\u200eThe Commandant said the Corps had been preparing to take the arrested persons to court when the deaths were discovered in the detention facility in the early hours of Thursday.
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\n\u200eRelatives dispute illegal-mining allegations
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\n\u200eThe arrests and deaths have generated anxiety because some relatives alleged that not everyone taken into custody was involved in illegal mining.
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\n\u200eOne woman, identified as Gloria, who spoke about her sister’s arrest, alleged that her sister was working on a farm when Civil Defence personnel arrested her.
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\n\u200e\u201cMy sister was working on the farm when the officers swooped on her and claimed that she was an illegal miner. Even when she protested and explained, they refused to listen to her and bundled her into their awaiting van,\u201d she said.
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\n\u200eGloria alleged that the only implements found on her sister were a hoe and a cutlass, which she said were being used for farming.
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\n\u200eThere were also claims that a significant number of those arrested were very young persons, with some relatives alleging that children between the ages of nine and 14 were among those detained.
\n\u200eWomen were also reportedly among the detainees.
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\n\u200eThe allegations could not independently be verified as of the time of filing this report, while the NSCDC has maintained that those arrested were suspected illegal miners.
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\n\u200eNSCDC: Investigation to establish cause of deaths
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\n\u200eIn its official statement titled \u201cArrest of Suspected Illegal Miners at M.I. Wushishi\/Lukoto Village and Deaths Following Suspected Outbreak of Disease,\u201d the NSCDC confirmed that scores of suspected illegal miners had been arrested and various exhibits recovered during the September 15\u201316 operation.
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\n\u200eThe Corps said the deaths occurred in the early hours of September 17.
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\n\u200eIt stressed that the cause of death had not yet been conclusively established, describing the disease outbreak as \u201csuspected\u201d and stating that medical examination would be conducted to determine the actual cause.
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\n\u200eThe Command appealed to members of the public and relatives of the deceased to remain calm and refrain from actions capable of causing a breakdown of law and order.
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\n\u200eThe NSCDC further stated that it was working with sister security agencies to manage the situation.
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\n\u200eThe Corps also reaffirmed its commitment to human rights and said it subscribes to international human rights charters while carrying out its statutory responsibility of protecting lives and property as well as critical national assets and infrastructure.
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\n\u200eNiger State Government yet to officially react
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\n\u200eAs of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from the Niger State Government on the reported deaths or on the circumstances surrounding the arrests.
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\n\u200eThe incident is expected to attract further scrutiny, particularly regarding the identities and ages of those arrested, the circumstances surrounding their detention, the medical condition of the detainees before their deaths, and the outcome of the medical examination expected to determine the precise cause of death.
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\n\u200eFor the bereaved families who gathered at the NSCDC headquarters, however, the immediate concern remained the whereabouts of their relatives and obtaining official confirmation of those who died.
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\n\u200eThe Corps, in its statement, expressed condolences to the families and prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"