Illegal Miners Return To Niger Mining Site After 37 Die In NSCDC Custody

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

The miners, including women, adults and underage persons, were seen carrying out mining activities at the site on Saturday despite the NSCDC operation and the reported deaths.

The NSCDC 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 NSCDC commandant in Niger State, Suberu Aniviye, had said: “Scores of the detained suspects were found dead in the early hours of Thursday following a suspected outbreak of disease”.

Although some miners stayed away from the site after the raid and the deaths in NSCDC custody, others returned because they rely on mining for their livelihood.

A visit to the M.I. Wushishi mining site by TheCable on Saturday found no security personnel present. The miners were seen using shovels, picks and other hand tools to dig into exposed earth. Some filled sacks and pans with loose soil, while others used a nearby stream to separate materials from the excavated earth.

Salisu DanMallam, a miner who has worked at the site for more than 15 years, said he stayed away from the area on Tuesday and Wednesday because of the NSCDC operation.

“I wasn’t here when the incident happened on Monday and they made the arrest,” he said.

“I did not come out again since they made the arrest. I was not here on Tuesday and Wednesday because of the way the civil defence raided and that was why I did not come out.”

DanMallam said staying away from the site affected his income because mining was his main source of livelihood.

“If you don’t come out for a day or two you will feel it because there are no profitable jobs,” he said.

He said miners in the area had formed close relationships over the years.

“We just treat each other like family here,” he said.

“I don’t have direct blood among those who died in the custody of NSCDC.”

DanMallam added that he had not established how many miners were dead or alive following the arrests.

“I have not ascertained the number of people who are dead or alive. I know that some people were arrested but I haven’t seen them,” he said.

He also said miners avoided digging too deeply because of the risk of landslides.

“Even if we dig, we don’t dig beyond our knee level. We don’t dig much because of landslide,” he said.

Another miner, 26-year-old Buhari Rabiu, said he had spent two years working at the site. He said miners left after they received information that NSCDC officers were approaching.

“I was informed earlier that the officers were coming. One of the women informed us, and we left,” he said.

“Not long after we left, we heard that civil defence was arresting us.”

Rabiu alleged that NSCDC officers previously assaulted him during a raid on suspected illegal miners. He said the officers took him to hospital for treatment after he sustained injuries before his parents secured his release.

“When my parents wanted to bail me, they insisted that NSCDC must treat me. They took me to the hospital to stitch my wounds,” he said.

Rabiu also alleged that N120,000 was collected as bail during the incident and claimed that one of his friends was shot at close range by NSCDC officers during an encounter with miners.

“They did not even want to grant me bail. It was barely four weeks ago. I was there for four days at the time. They did not grant me bail until my relative arrived,” Rabiu said.

He added that mining had also prevented him from continuing his work as a truck pusher in the market.