Protests erupt in Nigeria after 37 miners die in custody of paramilitary agency

Residents of a city in central Nigeria took to the streets to protest overnight after 37 detainees were found dead in the custody of a paramilitary force that had raided suspected illegal gold mines.

Reuters filmed 33 bodies in a ward at the General Hospital in Minna, the capital of Niger State, on Thursday, after they were found dead in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). State authorities said on Friday 37 detainees had died.

The NSCDC said the detainees had been held in raids on suspected illegal mines on September 15 to 16 in the Wushishi-Lukoto area west of Minna. It initially said a suspected disease outbreak may have been involved in their deaths, but later said the cause of death had not been established and would be determined by medical examinations.

Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo ordered the immediate suspension of Niger State's NSCDC commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, pending the outcome of a full investigation.

"It is an unfortunate incident, however, a full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended," the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

The mother of one of the detainees, Shafa'atu Suleiman, told Reuters outside the hospital on Thursday that she had visited her son Abdullahi in detention and found him in a cramped NSCDC cell, before later learning that he had died.

Officials had refused to allow relatives to deliver food to the detainees and demanded 100,000 naira ($75) for them to be freed, she said.

NSCDC officials did not respond to multiple requests for comment on her accusations.

Anger over the deaths sparked protests in Minna on Thursday night, with youths chanting "Justice must be done", according to residents. Some protesters also damaged vehicles.

By Friday morning the city was calm, but security forces had been heavily deployed across parts of Minna.

Nigeria has tried for years to curb unauthorised mining at thousands of informal sites that operate across the country. The authorities say illegal mining damages the environment and leads to losses of government revenue.

(Reporting by Ibrahim Ndamitso in Minna and Ahmed Kingimi in MaiduguriWriting by Ben EzeamaluEditing by David Lewis and Peter Graff)