‘They Are Giving Us Money To Silence Us’ – Niger Miners’ Families Reject ₦100,000

Families of some of the 37 suspected illegal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State have rejected a reported ₦100,000 payment from the state government, insisting that what they want is justice and not compensation.

Naija News reports that the relatives, in a video spotted online, said the money could be interpreted as an attempt to put a monetary value on the lives of their loved ones, stressing that the circumstances surrounding the deaths must be established and anyone found culpable held accountable.

The 37 detainees reportedly died after they were arrested during anti-illegal mining operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16, 2026.

They were subsequently taken to NSCDC custody in Minna, where they died.

The incident has sparked protests and public concern, with calls for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The NSCDC initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak. However, relatives and survivors have raised concerns about the conditions under which the miners were detained, including alleged overcrowding and poor treatment.

The actual cause of death has yet to be established, as forensic examinations and autopsies are being conducted.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident, while the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, inaugurated a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.

Twenty-one NSCDC personnel were initially suspended over the incident, with the number later rising to 24 as more officers became subjects of investigation.

One relative said the families regarded the payment as an attempt to silence them.

“Yes, they are giving us money to silence us, or whatever you may call it. That is what we are asking about. They have given us money to silence us,” the relative said.

Another family member said relatives had advised their children not to accept the money.

The person said, “If we have been wronged, we have been wronged, and we have left everything to Allah.

“We have told our children to return the money to them because they cannot benefit from the blood of their relatives. They will not eat that money.”

The families questioned the rationale behind the payment, noting that many of the deceased depended on mining to provide for their households.

One relative said the miners could earn more than the amount being offered when they worked at the mining sites.

The person said, “Today, they have gone into the mine, and by the power of Allah, Allah gives them more than three hundred thousand [naira] for them to live on and take care of their needs.

“But if they see that people are being sent to the mines and our children are being killed, then why should they bring them one hundred thousand naira?”

Another grieving relative said the payment appeared to attach a value to the lives lost.

The woman said, “As for this money they brought for them, it is as if they are trying to place a value on their lives because they were not their relatives.

“If their relatives were still alive today and were with them, they would be worth more than this money.”

The families said their priority was for the circumstances surrounding the deaths to be established and for anyone found responsible to face the consequences.

The woman said, “What we want is for the money to be used against the person who committed this terrible act; something should also be done to him.

“The government should show him that we too are human beings and that we too have feelings.”

She also highlighted the economic hardship facing families who had lost their breadwinners.

“Some people have three children who are now orphans. Some have nothing at all. Others would normally go and do gold mining so that they could return home and feed their children. Now that has been stopped; what option do they have?” she asked.

Despite their anger over the deaths, the relatives appealed to their children and other youths not to retaliate.

“Please, my children and my grandchildren, be patient. We have already been wronged; do not retaliate. Leave them to Allah,” one relative said.

The family member suggested that if the money was eventually accepted, it could instead be used for charitable purposes.

“Take this money and buy water containers and donate them to the mosque. Do not spend any of it on yourselves,” the person said.

The relatives also described the incident as unprecedented in their years of involvement in gold mining.

“We have been involved in gold mining, but we have never seen anything like this. We have never experienced this before,” one relative said.

They further alleged that some detained miners were subsequently confronted with demands involving their mining sites, bail or surrendering land.

“And after arresting them, they say it is either the land, or bail, or they should give up the land. Is that how things are done here?” the relative asked.

Watch the video below: