Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday shifted the focus from mourning to accountability as he demanded answers over the death of 37 miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State.
Shettima, who visited Minna on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, said the deaths of the young men could not be allowed to disappear under the weight of official condolences.
He also announced a N250 million Federal Government donation to assist the families of the victims.
Speaking at the Niger State Government House after meeting Governor Umaru Bago and members of the State Executive Council, the Vice President said the circumstances surrounding the deaths required serious questions and clear answers.
“The death of 37 young men in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps calls for initial questions,” Shettima said.
He stressed that the families needed more than sympathy, noting that grief could not answer the questions confronting those who lost their loved ones.
“A grieving mother cannot be consoled by grief, nor can grief answer a father’s questions,” he said.
The Vice President insisted that every Nigerian was entitled to state protection and that no institution had the right to diminish that protection.
According to him, those responsible must account for what happened, warning that leadership could not hide when lives were lost within its sphere of responsibility.
“There can be no room for hiding for leaders when lives are lost within the perimeter of their sphere,” Shettima said.
His comments effectively placed the circumstances surrounding the miners’ deaths under renewed scrutiny, even as he urged Nigerians to resist turning the tragedy into a political battle.
Shettima specifically cautioned against using the deaths to attack Governor Bago, saying the governor should not be blamed for an incident in which he had no involvement.
“We should avoid weaponising the departed to demonise Governor Bago. He had no hand in what has befallen their lives,” he said.
The Vice President said the tragedy should transcend political, religious and other divisions, stressing that the victims deserved dignity, survivors deserved care and the bereaved families deserved the truth.
Earlier, Bago thanked Shettima for coming to Niger State, describing the visit as a demonstration of empathy and solidarity with the victims’ families and the people of the state.
The governor noted that both President Tinubu and Shettima were outside the country when the incident occurred, with Tinubu on vacation and Shettima representing Nigeria at the United Nations General Assembly.
Bago said the President’s message had been delivered to the affected families and the people of the state.
He lamented that Niger had suffered a series of tragedies in recent times, ranging from insecurity and mining-related incidents to petrol tanker explosions.
The governor subsequently invited relatives of some of the deceased to stand in recognition, bringing the human cost of the tragedy to the centre of the gathering.
Some of the bereaved families later expressed appreciation for Shettima’s visit, saying it demonstrated Federal Government concern over their plight.
The Vice President is expected to visit the Emir of Minna, Umar Farouk Bahago, before proceeding to the hilltop residence of former military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, ahead of his return to Abuja.
