# 37 suspected illegal miners die in custody in central Nigeria

https://mins.news/en/item/63471

- France 24, 2026-09-18 00:27 UTC
- World
- Original: https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20260918-37-suspected-illegal-miners-die-in-custody-in-central-nigeria

> Nigerian authorities opened an investigation Thursday after 37 people suspected of illegal mining died at a civil defence detention facility in central Niger state. Accounts differ over whether a disease outbreak or overcrowding and poor ventilation caused the deaths.

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- [Thirty-seven illegal miners die in Nigerian custody](https://mins.news/en/video/64307) — BBC News, 2026-09-18
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- [Nigeria: At least 37 suspected illegal miners die in custody](https://mins.news/en/item/63639) — DW, 2026-09-18