Nigeria: Protests erupt over deaths of 37 miners in custody

Protests erupted in central Nigeria on Friday after 37 people believed to be illegal miners died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC). Police fired tear gas as dozens of demonstrators, including miners and their relatives, gathered in the central city of Minna, Niger State, armed with sticks and machetes, witnesses reported. Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago told reporters on Thursday that the men had died in custody after being arrested earlier in the week on suspicion of illegal mining. He called the incident "sad" and "tragic," adding that a committee of inquiry into the deaths had been established and was already working.