Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has assured families of the 37 miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) that the government will conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Bago gave the assurance on Sunday during a three-day Fida’au prayer held at the Tunga Central Mosque, Minna, for the souls of the deceased miners.
The governor said the findings of the investigation panel would be made public, assuring the families, who attended the prayer, that the state government was determined to establish the actual cause of the deaths.
He said the investigation would not be limited to the 37 miners but would also examine the circumstances surrounding the arrest, detention and deaths of other detainees at the NSCDC facility.
“Government is doing everything possible to get to the crux of this matter, and when that is done, it will be made very public.
“We are not going to take anything for granted. We are going to probe deeply so that we can get the real causes of these deaths,” Bago said.
The governor explained that preliminary findings indicated that some detainees were already being held at the facility before the miners were brought in.
He said the investigation would establish who was detained earlier, why they were detained, who was brought in later and the identities of those arrested.
Bago cited the case of Emmanuel Emeka, an Igbo man who was allegedly being detained over claims that he stole from his employer before the incident. He said Emeka was among those who died.
The governor said the government would adopt a holistic approach to the investigation and work with mining stakeholders to address mining-related activities in the affected areas.
Bago also announced that the state government would provide palliatives and other forms of support to the families of the deceased.
He said the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Farouk Bahago, would supervise the distribution of the relief materials.
The governor added that the government would reach out to survivors still receiving treatment in hospitals and appealed to residents to shun violence.
On the 12-hour curfew imposed following violent protests over the deaths, Bago said it would be lifted once normalcy returned, allowing residents to resume their normal activities.
He, however, maintained that the government would not reverse its ban on mining activities within residential areas of Minna, stressing that such locations were not designated for mining.
According to him, the government would enforce responsible mining regulations and use its legal powers to prevent further mining activities in residential areas.
The Chief Imam of Tunga Central Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Salisu Isah Mai Dalalainu, who led the prayer, prayed for Allah’s comfort and mercy for the families of the deceased.
He described the incident as unfortunate and urged residents not to allow it to trigger further unrest or violence in the state.
The cleric also prayed for divine guidance and wisdom for Governor Bago, elected and appointed leaders, traditional rulers and other authorities in the state.
He prayed for lasting peace in Niger State and Nigeria.
The Fida’au prayer was attended by prominent politicians, members of the Niger State Executive Council, the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Faruq Bahago, as well as parents and relatives of the deceased.