Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has donated N20 million to the families of 37 suspected artisanal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State.
Atiku made the donation on Tuesday during a visit to Minna, the Niger State capital, where he paid a condolence visit to the Emir of Minna and Chairman of the Minna Emirate Council, Alhaji Umar Farouk Bahago.
He also visited former military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (retd.), before meeting with families and survivors of the incident.
The 37 detainees died on September 17, days after they were arrested during NSCDC operations targeting suspected illegal mining activities in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths have not been conclusively established. The Federal Government has constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the incident, while 20 NSCDC officers, including the Niger State Commandant, have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
Speaking during his meeting with the affected families and survivors, Atiku described the deaths as a tragedy that required truth, justice and accountability.
According to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said one survivor gave him a disturbing account of the conditions under which the detainees were held.
Atiku said the survivor claimed that more than 68 detainees had been crowded into a small detention facility and that conditions became so severe that some detainees resorted to drinking urine to remain hydrated.
The account has not been independently established and is among the issues surrounding the circumstances of the deaths that are now subject to investigation. Reuters has separately reported accounts from survivors alleging that an unidentified substance was sprayed into an overcrowded cell before detainees began experiencing breathing difficulties and collapsing. The NSCDC had earlier attributed the deaths to a suspected illness, but no definitive cause has been established.
Atiku said the fact that the detainees were suspected of illegal mining did not remove their right to humane treatment and protection under the law.
He also linked the incident to wider economic pressures facing young Nigerians, arguing that the country must create legitimate and productive opportunities for young people.
In a statement reported by the media, the former vice president said the deaths should serve as a reminder of the vulnerability of young Nigerians struggling to survive amid economic hardship.
“Thirty-seven young Nigerians entered the custody of the state alive and did not return alive to their families,” Atiku said, adding that the tragedy demanded truth, justice and accountability.
The visit came as investigations into the incident continued at both federal and state levels. The Federal Government’s committee, constituted on the directive of President Bola Tinubu, has been given two weeks to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the deaths and submit its report. Its membership includes legal, medical, security, mining and human-rights experts, as well as representatives of the Minna Emirate Council and Niger State Government.
The Niger State Government has also commenced its own inquiry into the incident.
Atiku’s visit therefore combined condolences to traditional authorities and affected families with a call for answers over what happened to the detainees while they were in government custody.
The former vice president’s donation is expected to provide immediate support to families who lost relatives in the incident, while the ongoing investigations are expected to determine the circumstances and responsibilities surrounding the deaths.
