Nigeria police fire tear gas at protesters over deaths of miners in custody

Nigerian police fired tear gas on Friday to disperse crowds protesting the deaths of 37 miners who were being held in custody.

The civil defence corps said the miners, who were arrested earlier this week on suspicion of illegal mining, died following a suspected disease outbreak. Survivors, however, told The Associated Press that the deaths were caused by suffocation.

Protesters alleged that the miners were killed in retaliation for earlier attacks by some miners on security officers. The government on Friday suspended the commandant of the Niger State civil defence corps.

“It is an unfortunate incident,” Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said in a statement. He added that a full investigation would be conducted and that the commandant under whose watch the incident occurred would remain suspended.

The Niger state government imposed a 12-hour curfew from 6 pm on Friday after some protesters allegedly attacked other residents.

Dozens of young people, including miners and relatives of those who died, gathered near the civil defence corps' office in Minna, the capital of Niger State. Police surrounded the area and fired tear gas to disperse the protesters.

“There will be no attempt to shield anyone found culpable. At the same time, we mustn't prejudge the outcome of the investigation,” Information Minister Mohammed Idris said.

Illegal mining remains a serious problem in Nigeria, where analysts say the activity helps finance armed groups, some of which control the mines.  (with inputs from Associated Pess)