Lawan Mohammed is distraught over the death of his 25-year-old son Sulieman who was found dead in the custody of a Nigerian security agency ABUJA, Nigeria -- Lawan Mohammed is distraught over the death of his 25-year-old son Sulieman who was found dead in the custody of a Nigerian security agency in the north-central region of the country. He said Sulieman was a motorcycle mechanic in Niger state and was on his way home when he and some friends were arrested by personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, or NSCDC. On Thursday, Sulieman was found dead in a cell of the NSCDC along with 36 other detainees.
A total of 67 people suspected of being miners working illegally were held in a cell, and 37 of them probably died of suffocation, Niger state Gov. The suspects were arrested between Tuesday and Wednesday. The security agency on Thursday blamed the deaths on a possible disease outbreak.
An investigation is underway to determine what caused the deaths. On Saturday, the Nigerian government named a 10-member committee drawn from the legal, security, mining and medical professions, and announced the suspension of 20 more NSCDC personnel. The head of the security agency in Niger state had been suspended on Friday.
Mohammed said: “I had a lot of expectations for my son, but now (they have) been shattered completely. They chose to beat him up, burst his head open. His teeth were even falling out.
I want the government to make sure that justice prevails.” There have long been concerns about the treatment of suspects in Nigerian detention centers. In 2025, the National Human Rights Commission said it received 371,622 complaints of rights violations, including unlawful arrest and detention, denial of justice and torture. Usman said his son and others who were arrested did not commit a crime but “were framed," adding that “I have nothing else to say but to give God thanks because he knows why this really happened.” Mubarak Dahiru, a survivor who appeared traumatized by his ordeal, said while in detention they were sweating profusely and pleaded with NSCDC officials for water and food, but their requests were ignored.
They also used their guns and hit us with them," Dahiru said. Nigerian Bar Association president Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya said the death of 37 people while in the custody of a government agency is an “event of the utmost gravity and demands a thorough, independent, transparent and credible investigation.” Illegal mining remains a challenge in Nigeria. Analysts have linked illegal mining activities in Nigeria’s north-central and northwest regions to armed gangs involved in kidnappings for ransom, claiming the groups receive funding from the illicit trade. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events
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