37 suspected illegal miners die in custody in central Nigeria

At least 37 suspected illegal miners have died while in detention at a civil defence facility in central Nigeria's Niger State. The detainees, who were accused of illegal mining, were discovered dead following the incident, prompting Nigerian authorities to launch a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatalities.

Official explanations regarding the cause of death remain disputed. Authorities have attributed the tragedy to a disease outbreak within the facility. In contrast, other reports point to systemic issues within the detention centre, specifically citing severe overcrowding and inadequate ventilation as contributing factors to the high death toll.