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- Safiu Kehinde
The Minister of Solid Mineral, Dele Alake, has ordered the deployment of a team of officials from the ministry to probe the mysterious death of 37 miners at the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.
NPO Reported that the miners were on Thursday recovered dead at the NSCDC’s custody few days after they were arrested at an illegal mining site.
Reacting to the development in a statement issued on Friday, Alake expressed sadness over the incident while condoling with the residents of the state.
“It is with profound shock and deep sorrow that I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Governor of Niger State, His Excellency, Mohammed Umaru Bago, and the entire people of the state over the tragic loss of lives among detained citizens in Minna.
”The loss of any life is a deeply painful occurrence, and a tragedy of this magnitude affects us all.
“During this solemn period of state mourning, my thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families and the communities bearing the weight of this grief.
“I commend Governor Bago’s swift administrative response in declaring a period of mourning and establishing an investigative framework to uncover the full circumstances of this unfortunate incident.” He said.
While calling for independent inquiry, Alake disclosed that high-powered team of officials have been deployed by the ministry to Niger State to probe and ascertain the facts surrounding the incident.
‘A thorough, transparent, and independent inquiry is vital to ensure accountability and prevent any recurrence of such distress in our detention and correctional facilities.
‘Given the allegation that the detained persons were arrested on suspicion of carrying out illegal mining, I have deployed a high-powered team of officials to Niger State to investigate the circumstances and ascertain the facts of the matter.’ He said.
The team, according to the minister, will collaborate with other investigators to provide a comprehensive report on the incident.
