On 15‑16 September 2026, Nigeria’s Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) carried out raids in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State that left 37 suspected illegal miners dead while in custody. According to sources cited by the Daily Post, the operation was largely conducted by regular NSCDC personnel, with the Corps’ specialised Mining Marshals unit reportedly excluded.
Commandant Jibrin Mohammed, head of the Mining Marshals, had been formally commended three weeks earlier by then‑state Commandant Suberu Siyaka Aniviye. In a restricted letter dated 25 August 2026, Aniviye praised Mohammed’s “exceptional working relationship”, dedication, attention to detail, problem‑solving skills and “positive attitude”, noting that his efforts had contributed to the command’s successes.
Director‑General Muhammad S. Mabo of the Niger State‑owned Zuma Mineral Exploration and Mining Company said the Mining Marshals are the federal unit relied upon for anti‑illegal‑mining enforcement. He told Daily Post that, “to my knowledge in the mining industry, the Mining Marshals are the operational unit that the Federal Government is relying on for operations against illegal mining,” and asserted that the marshals were not involved in the September raids. Mabo added that the unit normally operates from the former NSCDC headquarters on David Mark Road, which houses a holding facility and medical section, yet detainees were taken instead to an NSCDC site at the New Secretariat area in the Three Arms Zone.
Survivors of the detention described severe overcrowding, extreme heat and difficulty breathing inside the cell, and some alleged that an unidentified substance was sprayed shortly before the deaths. No definitive public finding on the cause of death has been released, and the alleged exclusion of the Mining Marshals has not been proven to be a factor.
The federal government has suspended Commandant Aniviye and 20 other officers pending investigations into the deaths, the arrests and the conditions of detention. Investigators are examining the identities of the deceased, the chain of command that planned the operation, and why a specialised anti‑mining unit was reportedly sidelined in an operation that resulted in 37 fatalities.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
