Surviving Nigerian miners recount ordeal in detention after 37 deaths 37 individuals, suspected of working as illegal miners, died in custody in Nigeria in recent days, prompting the government to name a committee to investigate the situation. The survivors recount their harrowing ordeal in detention.
Monday, September 21, 2026
Video - Surviving Nigerian miners recount ordeal in detention after 37 deaths
Surviving Nigerian miners recount ordeal in detention after 37 deaths 37 individuals, suspected of working as illegal miners, died in custody in Nigeria in recent days, prompting the government to name a committee to investigate the situation. The survivors recount their harrowing ordeal in detention.
Video - Aliko Dangote: Refining Nigeria’s oil, helping Africa, and creating wealth
Nigerian billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote says building his refinery was the hardest challenge he’s faced, but he never considered giving up.
For decades, Nigeria - Africa’s biggest oil producer - spent billions of dollars importing refined petroleum products because its state-owned refineries were barely functioning.
Dangote, who is Africa’s richest man, says his refinery has made his country less dependent on imported fuel.
Since the February 28 launch of the US-Israel war on Iran, the facility has seen an increase in demand for its jet fuel due to disruptions to global energy supplies.
Dangote wants to double the refinery’s processing capacity and says he’s listing the company on the Nigerian stock exchange to create wealth for ordinary citizens.
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The world’s wealthiest Black man rejects criticism that he’s creating a monopoly. Dangote says his goal is to make Africa great and to make the continent more self-sufficient and less reliant on imports.
Friday, September 18, 2026
Nigerian court sentence South African citizen to 40 years in prison for drug trafficking
A Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, has sentenced a South African national to 40 years in prison after finding her guilty of trafficking 5.75 kilograms of heroin into the country through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The court convicted 38-year-old Jessica Ann Will on Thursday, September 17.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who convicted and sentenced Will after she entered a guilty plea, stated that crime does not pay and emphasized that the court must follow statutory legal procedures unswayed by emotion.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arraigned Will on two counts: unlawful importation of 5.75 kg of heroin and conspiracy to import the narcotics into Nigeria—offenses punishable under Section 14 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Justice Egwuatu handed down a 15-year prison sentence on count one and 25 years on count two, totaling 40 years. However, the sentences will run concurrently, meaning she will serve a maximum term of 25 years.
Following the conviction, the prosecution urged the court to factor in the narcotics' street value when determining the sentence, noting that a single kilogram of heroin sells for roughly ₦18 million.
Allowed an allocutus to plead for leniency, Will expressed remorse, promised never to repeat the offense, and claimed she was unaware that illicit substances were hidden inside her luggage.
Reacting to the ruling, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, retired Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa, praised the judgment as evidence of the Nigerian judiciary’s unwavering support for the agency’s war against illicit narcotics, warning that Nigeria will never offer a soft landing to international drug cartels. He added that the swift progression from arrest to conviction demonstrates the operational efficiency of the NDLEA and its close coordination with the court.
NDLEA operatives arrested Will on Monday, July 6, 2026, after discovering 14 large blocks of heroin weighing 5.75 kg hidden inside her bags. The agency noted that she attempted to use her three-year-old son as a cover to divert suspicion and evade strict security checks.
According to the NDLEA, officers intercepted her during passenger clearance on Qatar Airways flight QR 1433 from Doha to Abuja. The suspect initially claimed she had no checked baggage, but investigators quickly matched two suspicious suitcases containing the heroin blocks to luggage tags tied to her passport.
The NDLEA stated that Will belongs to a transnational syndicate operated alongside her husband or partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager. The pair were based in Cambodia, running a narcotics pipeline along the Cambodian–South African route. South African law enforcement subsequently arrested De Jager in Johannesburg on July 27, 2026, as he allegedly attempted to traffic 3.2 kg of illicit narcotics to Hong Kong.
Nigerian police probe death in custody of 37 illegal mining suspects
Nigerian police have launched an investigation into the deaths of 37 people who were in custody after being arrested for illegal mining.
Officials on Thursday linked the deaths to an outbreak of disease. However, the AFP news agency said that an intelligence report suggested that overcrowding and poor ventilation inside the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) detention facility in the northeastern Niger State may have been to blame.
The suspects were arrested during an operation targeting illegal mining on Tuesday and Wednesday, the head of the NSCDC in Niger State, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, said in a statement. The region is known for small-scale gold mining.
Officials suspect disease was the cause of the deaths, Aniviye said, noting the bodies have been sent for “further medical examination to establish the actual cause of death.” He did not elaborate on the type of disease suspected.
However, survivor Dauda Shehu told The Associated Press news agency that 65 detainees were packed into a poorly ventilated cell, suggesting they may have suffocated.
“We were jam-packed and there was no ventilation for us to breathe well,” Shehu said. “All of a sudden, we realised that we could not breathe and we started scrambling to get fresh air.”
Speaking at the Minna General Hospital, where the bodies were sent for examination, Shehu said the detainees tried to get the attention of the security agency’s guards by banging on the cell door.
Investigators have urged relatives of the victims to come forward with any information that could help.
Niger State Governor Farmer Mohammed Umaru Bago has announced three days of mourning, calling the deaths “sad and tragic”.
Protests were reported to have broken out on Thursday evening, with police responding by firing tear gas. Local outlets reported that NSCDC commander Aniviye has been suspended.
Officials on Thursday linked the deaths to an outbreak of disease. However, the AFP news agency said that an intelligence report suggested that overcrowding and poor ventilation inside the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) detention facility in the northeastern Niger State may have been to blame.
The suspects were arrested during an operation targeting illegal mining on Tuesday and Wednesday, the head of the NSCDC in Niger State, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, said in a statement. The region is known for small-scale gold mining.
Officials suspect disease was the cause of the deaths, Aniviye said, noting the bodies have been sent for “further medical examination to establish the actual cause of death.” He did not elaborate on the type of disease suspected.
However, survivor Dauda Shehu told The Associated Press news agency that 65 detainees were packed into a poorly ventilated cell, suggesting they may have suffocated.
“We were jam-packed and there was no ventilation for us to breathe well,” Shehu said. “All of a sudden, we realised that we could not breathe and we started scrambling to get fresh air.”
Speaking at the Minna General Hospital, where the bodies were sent for examination, Shehu said the detainees tried to get the attention of the security agency’s guards by banging on the cell door.
Investigators have urged relatives of the victims to come forward with any information that could help.
Niger State Governor Farmer Mohammed Umaru Bago has announced three days of mourning, calling the deaths “sad and tragic”.
Protests were reported to have broken out on Thursday evening, with police responding by firing tear gas. Local outlets reported that NSCDC commander Aniviye has been suspended.
Related story: Toxic gas leak at mine in Nigeria kills at least 37 miners
Thursday, September 17, 2026
At least 48 dead in Nigeria after consuming drink suspected to contain methanol
At least 48 people have died and around 100 others are receiving treatment in southern Nigeria after consuming a drink suspected to contain methanol, officials said on Thursday.
Banji Ajaka, Ondo state’s commissioner for health, said the cases had been reported in the Odigbo and Irele local government areas. A total of 182 people are believed to have been affected, he said.
“This thing happened rapidly. Once they consume, depending on the quantity, the kidneys will pack up, the eyes will go, the brain will be damaged,” Ajaka told The Associated Press.
Some of those who became ill after consuming the liquid have since been discharged from hospital, he added.
Ondo state police spokesman Abayomi Jimoh said one of 15 people who have been arrested in connection with the incident had been producing drink “suspected to contain methanol and is currently assisting the police with investigations.”
Local media reports said the first death was reported nearly two weeks ago.
Banji Ajaka, Ondo state’s commissioner for health, said the cases had been reported in the Odigbo and Irele local government areas. A total of 182 people are believed to have been affected, he said.
“This thing happened rapidly. Once they consume, depending on the quantity, the kidneys will pack up, the eyes will go, the brain will be damaged,” Ajaka told The Associated Press.
Some of those who became ill after consuming the liquid have since been discharged from hospital, he added.
Ondo state police spokesman Abayomi Jimoh said one of 15 people who have been arrested in connection with the incident had been producing drink “suspected to contain methanol and is currently assisting the police with investigations.”
Local media reports said the first death was reported nearly two weeks ago.
By Dyepkazah Shibayan, AP
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