# Nigerian police probe deaths of 37 illegal mining suspects in custody

https://mins.news/en/item/63806

- Al Jazeera, 2026-09-18 06:45 UTC
- Society
- Original: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/18/nigerian-police-probe-death-in-custody-of-37-illegal-mining-suspects?traffic_source=rss

> Nigerian police are investigating the deaths of 37 people detained after an illegal-mining operation. Officials attribute the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, while a survivor says 65 detainees were packed into a poorly ventilated cell and may have suffocated. Niger State declared three days of mourning, and protests were reportedly met with tear gas.

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