Curfew imposed in Nigerian city after protests over deaths of detained miners

Authorities in Minna, Nigeria, imposed an overnight curfew after security forces opened fire on protesters demanding justice for 37 detainees, many of them children, who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) following raids on illegal gold mines. President Tinubu ordered an investigation, and the state's NSCDC commandant was suspended.

Authorities in Minna, Nigeria, imposed an overnight curfew on Friday after security forces opened fire on hundreds of protesters demanding justice for 37 detainees who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The victims, many of them children aged 14 to 18, were found dead on Thursday in NSCDC cells following raids on suspected illegal gold mines in the Wushishi-Lukoto area on September 15-16. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered an investigation, and Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo suspended the state's NSCDC commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, pending a full inquiry. The NSCDC initially suggested a disease outbreak but later said the cause of death had not been established. Protesters, some armed with sticks and machetes, called for justice; a Reuters witness saw one body on the ground. The victims were buried late Thursday in accordance with Islamic tradition, raising questions about forensic examinations. The mother of one detainee, Shafa'atu Suleiman, said officials demanded 100,000 naira ($75) for her son's release and refused to let relatives deliver food. The article, sourced from Reuters, maintains a neutral, fact-led register throughout.