Minna Mining Tragedy: Parents Demand Compensation Over Children’s Deaths In NSCDC Custody

Parents of artisanal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, have demanded compensation for their families.

The grieving parents said payment of compensation would help provide justice for the deceased and serve as a warning against abuse of power by law enforcement personnel.

According to The Punch, one of the parents, 50-year-old Musa Aliyu, told journalists that he lost his two sons, Ibrahim, 17, and Abubakar, 12, in the incident.

Aliyu, who has been battling illness for the past year, told newsmen on Friday that his late children were his major source of support, especially in buying his medications.

He said the boys left home peacefully on Wednesday for the mining site at Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Housing Estate but failed to return that evening.

Aliyu said his wife later heard that some miners had been arrested and went to the Civil Defence office near the PDP Secretariat to search for their children.

“When she got there, she met a crowd of relatives who had also gone in search of their children.

“She was informed that our children were dead and we were asked to go to the General Hospital to identify and claim their bodies,” he said.

Recalling how his children supported him financially, Aliyu said, “These children helped me sustain my medication. They contributed money to buy drugs for me.”

The father, who struggled to hold back his tears, said he had left whoever was responsible for the death of his children to Allah.

“I leave whoever is responsible for the death of my children to Allah. I believe they were killed,” he said.

Another parent, Lawal Mohammad, said he lost his 15-year-old son, Suleiman, in the incident.

Mohammad told reporters he tried to take food to his son on the day of the arrest but NSCDC personnel denied him access.

“We went to the Civil Defence office on Wednesday night and were asked to return the following day.

“We went back on Thursday morning to give him food, but we were told that he was dead,” he said.

Mohammad said he was at the Civil Defence office when the bodies were brought out and loaded into ambulances.

“I am in pain, and I cannot forgive this. Those responsible should be made to pay compensation so as to serve as a lesson to others who abuse power,” he said.

The bereaved father, who also struggled to control his tears, said his son took to artisanal mining to earn a living and support the family.

He called on relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths and ensure that anyone found responsible is held accountable.