Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has demanded accountability over the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State.
This was just as he also announced a N250 million donation by the Federal Government to the families of the deceased, as he paid a condolence visit to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago at the Government House in Minna on Monday.
The Vice President, who conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s sympathy to the government and people of Niger State, said the deaths raised questions that must be answered by those responsible.
“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 tragedy should not be allowed to become a subject of political, religious or other divisions, noting that every citizen was entitled to protection by the state.
According to him, the grief of the victims’ families could not substitute for answers about how their relatives died.
“Grief alone cannot answer the questions of bereaved families. A grieving mother cannot be consoled by grief, nor can grief answer a father’s questions,” he said.
Shettima maintained that no organisation could diminish a citizen’s right to protection, insisting that those responsible for the deaths must account for what happened.
“There can be no room for hiding leaders when lives are lost within the perimeter of their sphere,” the Vice President said.
He further called for the victims to be treated with dignity, while urging that survivors receive appropriate care and the bereaved families be told the truth about the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Shettima also cautioned against using the incident to attack Governor Bago politically, stressing that the Niger State governor had no involvement in the deaths.
“We should avoid weaponizing the parties that have departed to demonise Governor Bago. He had no hand in what has befallen their lives,” he said.
The Vice President had earlier arrived at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport, Minna, where he was received by Bago and other senior government officials.
His visit provided an opportunity for the Federal Government to reaffirm its commitment to supporting investigations into the deaths and efforts to establish what led to the incident.
A total of 37 suspected illegal miners died in September while in NSCDC custody, an incident that triggered public outcry.
Following the deaths, the Federal Government constituted an independent committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding them.
Receiving the Vice President, Bago thanked him for the visit, describing it as a demonstration of empathy and solidarity with the victims’ families and the people of Niger State.
The governor said Niger had experienced several tragedies, including insecurity, mining incidents and petrol tanker explosions, but expressed confidence that God would not abandon the state.
Bago also invited relatives of some of the deceased to stand in recognition during the condolence visit.
Speaking with the Vice President, some of the victims’ families expressed appreciation for his visit, saying it demonstrated the Federal Government’s concern for its citizens.
