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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Federal Government has released ₦250 million in support of the families of 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State.
Vice President Kashim Shettima announced the intervention on Monday during a condolence visit to Governor Umaru Bago and the people of Niger State in Minna, where he conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s sympathy to the bereaved families.
But beyond the financial assistance, Shettima demanded answers over the circumstances surrounding the deaths, insisting that anyone found responsible must be held accountable through due process.
He described the death of the 37 young men while in state custody as a matter of national concern, saying it raised serious questions about the responsibility of government agencies entrusted with the protection of citizens.
“The death of 37 young men in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps calls for initial questions,” Shettima said.
He said the Federal Government owed the families both justice and an explanation of what happened to their loved ones, stressing that detention or an allegation of wrongdoing did not deprive citizens of their fundamental right to protection by the state.
“No allegation should diminish that entitlement,” he said, adding that anyone found culpable must answer for his actions.
The Vice President also cautioned against turning the tragedy into a political, religious or ethnic controversy, particularly against Governor Bago, urging stakeholders to allow the ongoing investigation to establish the facts.
“We should avoid weaponising the departed to demonise Governor Bago. He had no hand in what has befallen their lives,” he said.
Shettima stressed that while government could provide financial assistance to the bereaved families, money could not substitute for justice.
“A grieving mother cannot be consoled by grief, nor can grief answer a father’s questions,” he said.
He further warned that government officials must be accountable whenever lives are lost under the watch of state institutions.
“There can be no room for hiding for leaders when lives are lost within the perimeter of their sphere,” he said.
The 37 suspected miners died in September after they were arrested during operations against illegal mining activities in Niger State and taken into the custody of the NSCDC.
The deaths sparked public outrage and renewed questions over the conditions under which the detainees were held, including whether they received adequate medical attention after reportedly developing health problems while in custody.
The Federal Government subsequently constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths and establish responsibility.
The exact causes of the deaths and whether any official action or negligence contributed to the fatalities remain subject to the outcome of the investigation.
Receiving the Vice President, Bago thanked the Federal Government for identifying with the state during what he described as a difficult period.
The governor said the state’s demand for justice was not motivated by vengeance but by the need to ensure that citizens did not lose their lives in the custody of institutions entrusted with their protection.
He pledged the cooperation of the state government with the investigation, stressing that the families of the deceased deserved answers.
Bago also called for stronger regulation of mining activities and the creation of safer and more dignified economic opportunities for young Nigerians.
He noted that Niger State had suffered several tragedies in recent times, including insecurity, mining-related incidents and petrol tanker explosions.
Some relatives of the deceased who attended the Vice President’s visit expressed appreciation for the Federal Government’s intervention.
The ₦250 million support is intended to cushion the hardship faced by the bereaved families while the investigation into the deaths continues.