The federal government has assured the people of Niger State that swift justice will be served over the tragic deaths of 37 artisanal miners in Wushishi, promising a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
?Speaking in Minna while paying a condolebce visit to the Niger state Governor on Friday, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo declared that the federal administration will not allow the tragedy to slide, vowing to unearth the root cause and prevent any future recurrence.
The Minister, conveying the condolences of the President, emphasized that the Ministry will collaborate closely with the state government to ensure that anyone responsible for operational negligence is held accountable.
?The tragedy unfolded after 67 miners, comprising mostly youths between the ages of 14 and 18, were arrested and detained in a Civil Defence holding cell for over 24 hours. 37 of the miners died in the holding cell.
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago while responding to the Minister declared that the incident has made vandals to take over the streets in the wake of the deaths of 37 artisanal miners in Civil Defence custody, leaving buses destroyed, a bank attacked and businesses and party offices ransacked. To this end, the Governor declared a 24-hour curfew across the state capital which would start after the Friday prayers.
Addressing federal officials including the Minister of Interior, Bago warned that vandals were taking over the streets and that immediate action was required to restore order.
The governor disclosed that preliminary forensic findings showed foam mixed with bloodstains in some mouths and peeling skin, leaving open the possibility of methane, cyanide or lead poisoning calling for a full investigation into the root cause.
He thanked the Commandant-General of the Civil Defence for the swift suspension of the former state Commandant who ordered the prolonged detention of so many people, describing the decision as callous and reckless stating that the oficers on duty who also ignored the detainees’ screams that they were dying were also callous.
Bago stated that though security forces including the army, police and Department of State Services had already intervened to stop the violence from escalating further appealing to residents to exercise restraint, remain patient and keep their children at home while authorities work to establish the facts.
He condemned the destruction of public assets, private property, marketplaces, businesses and schools as an affront to governance and warned that such acts would not be tolerated.
The Governor also ordered the immediate suspension of all mining activities, both legal and illegal, across the state until soil tests determine whether hazardous substances are present.