Nigeria police fire tear gas at protesters over deaths of 37 miners in custody
Nigerian police used tear gas to disperse protesters demanding answers regarding the deaths of 37 miners while in custody. The government has suspended the local civil defence commandant as investigations into the incident continue.
Why it matters
The incident highlights ongoing tensions regarding illegal mining, human rights, and government accountability in Nigeria.
Police in Nigeria fired tear gas at dozens of people who gathered Friday (September 18, 2026) to protest the deaths of 37 miners while they were in custody.
Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago said on Thursday (September 17, 2026) that the miners, who were arrested earlier in the week on suspicion of illegal mining by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, died in custody.
The civil defence corps said they died as a result of a suspected disease outbreak, but survivors told The Associated Press that the miners died of suffocation.
Dozens of young people, including miners and their relatives, gathered near the civil defence corps' office on Friday (September 18). Police officers cordoned off the area and attempted to disperse protesters by firing tear gas canisters. The protesters claim the miners were killed in retaliation for earlier attacks by some miners on the corps officers.
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