24 Hours of Silence: Bago’s Curfew Follows Deadly Niger Mining Incident

The Federal Government has opened another line of investigation into the deaths of suspected illegal miners in custody in Niger State as tension over the incident spreads across Minna.

Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake has deployed a high-powered team to the state to establish what happened to the detainees.

Alake said the investigation would establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine the facts of the case. The detainees had been arrested during operations against suspected illegal mining in the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis on September 15 and 16.

The exact number of deaths remains unsettled in official accounts. Initial reports put the number at at least 33, while later reports put the fatalities at about 40.

The NSCDC has not publicly established a final figure.The state NSCDC command had initially linked the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, but the national headquarters said the cause had not been established and would require medical and laboratory confirmation.

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Alake said his team would work with other investigators and produce a comprehensive report.

He also called for a transparent and independent inquiry. “A thorough, transparent, and independent inquiry is vital to ensure accountability and prevent any recurrence,” the minister said.

The deaths have triggered protests and unrest in Minna.Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago subsequently imposed a 24-hour curfew across the state capital, beginning immediately after Friday prayers, following reports of vandalism and destruction of property.

Residents were directed to remain indoors and avoid unnecessary movement.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the crisis has now moved beyond a mining enforcement operation into a wider security and accountability issue, with questions surrounding the arrests, detention conditions, medical care and deaths of the suspects.

The government is now facing pressure to establish precisely what happened in custody and ensure that any person found responsible is held accountable.

Until the investigations are completed, the cause of death should not be treated as conclusively established.

The focus now shifts to the evidence that emerges from the various investigations and the government’s response to their findings, ValidViewNetwork reports.