Illegal Miners Return To Niger Site After 37 D!e In NSCDC Custody

Illegal miners have returned to the M.I. Wushishi mining site in Minna, Niger State, days after 37 suspected illegal miners reportedly died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

According to reports, women, adults and underage persons were among those seen carrying out mining activities at the site on Saturday, despite the recent NSCDC operation and the reported deaths of detainees.

The NSCDC had said the suspected illegal miners were arrested during operations conducted on September 15 and 16 around the Lt. Gen. Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate in Minna.

The suspended Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Aniviye, had attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, saying several detained suspects were found dead in the early hours of Thursday.

Following the operation and the deaths in custody, some miners reportedly stayed away from the site, while others eventually returned, citing their dependence on mining as their primary source of livelihood.

A visit to the mining site on Saturday reportedly found no security personnel stationed at the location. The miners were seen using shovels, picks and other hand tools to excavate the exposed earth. Some workers filled sacks and pans with loose soil, while others used water from a nearby stream to separate materials from the excavated soil.

Salisu DanMallam, a miner who said he had worked at the site for more than 15 years, explained that he stopped going to the area for two days following the NSCDC operation.

He said the decision to stay away affected his earnings because mining remained his main source of income. According to him, missing work for even a few days could have a significant impact on miners who had limited alternative sources of employment.

DanMallam also said miners at the site had developed close relationships over the years and regarded one another as a family. However, he said he had yet to determine how many of those arrested during the operation were alive or dead.

He further explained that miners generally avoided digging too deeply because of the danger of landslides at the site.

Another miner, 26-year-old Buhari Rabiu, who said he had worked at the location for about two years, recalled leaving the site after receiving information that NSCDC officers were approaching.

Rabiu alleged that he had previously been assaulted during an NSCDC operation targeting suspected illegal miners. He claimed that he sustained injuries during the incident and was taken to a hospital for treatment before his parents secured his release.

According to him, NSCDC officers allegedly demanded ₦120,000 in connection with his release during the earlier incident. He also alleged that one of his friends was shot at close range by NSCDC personnel during an encounter with miners.

Rabiu said the experience had made miners wary of security operations but noted that the need to earn a living had compelled some of them to return to the site.

He added that mining had also forced him to abandon his previous work as a truck pusher in the market.

The return of miners to the site comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the 37 suspected illegal miners in NSCDC custody. The Federal Government has suspended the Niger State NSCDC commandant and other officers, while an independent committee has been constituted to investigate the incident.