“We are ready to die here.” Those were the grim words of miners who returned to the M.I. Wushishi mining site in Minna, Niger State, despite the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) custody.
The miners, including teenagers, women and adults, said they had little or no alternative source of income and could not afford to abandon mining.
During a visit to the site on Saturday, miners were seen digging for gold with shovels, picks and other hand tools.
Some scooped loose soil into sacks and pans, while others used a nearby stream to separate excavated material. Freshly dug earth and muddy soil were scattered across the mining area.
The return followed NSCDC operations around the Lt. Gen. Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate in Minna on September 15 and 16, during which scores of suspected illegal miners were arrested.
Suberu Aniviye, the suspended Niger State NSCDC commandant, later said scores of those detained were found dead in the early hours of Thursday following a suspected disease outbreak.
The NSCDC has maintained that the deaths were linked to a suspected disease outbreak, while investigations into the circumstances surrounding the deaths continue.
Miners say they have nowhere else to go
One of the miners, Salisu DanMallam, said he stayed away from the site for two days after the NSCDC raid but soon felt the impact on his livelihood.
“I wasn’t here when the incident happened on Monday and they made the arrest,” he said.
“I did not come out again since they made the arrest. I was not here on Tuesday and Wednesday because of the way the civil defence raided and that was why I did not come out.”
DanMallam said he had been mining in the area for more than 15 years.
“If you don’t come out for a day or two you will feel it because there are no profitable jobs,” he said.
He described the miners as a close-knit community, saying they treated one another like family despite having no blood relationship.
“We just treat each other like family here,” he said.
“I don’t have direct blood among those who died in the custody of NSCDC.”
DanMallam said he was yet to determine how many miners had died or remained in detention.
“I have not ascertained the number of people who are dead or alive. I know that some people were arrested but I haven’t seen them,” he said.
He also said miners avoided digging deeply because of the risk of landslides.
“Even if we dig, we don’t dig beyond our knee level. We don’t dig much because of landslide,” he said.
DanMallam said he also worked as a driver for a block-making business but considered mining more profitable.
Miner alleges assault, N120,000 payment
Another miner, 26-year-old Buhari Rabiu, said he had spent about two years working at the site.
Rabiu said he and other miners fled after receiving information that NSCDC officers were approaching.
“I was informed earlier that the officers were coming. One of the women informed us, and we left,” he said.
“Not long after we left, we heard that civil defence was arresting us.”
Rabiu also alleged that NSCDC personnel had previously arrested and assaulted him during a raid on suspected illegal miners.
He claimed he sustained injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment before his release after his parents intervened.
“When my parents wanted to bail me, they insisted that NSCDC must treat me. They took me to the hospital to stitch my wounds,” he said.
Rabiu further alleged that N120,000 was collected for his release.
He also alleged that one of his friends was shot at close range by NSCDC personnel during an encounter with miners.
“They did not even want to grant me bail. It was barely four weeks ago. I was there for four days at the time. They did not grant me bail until my relative arrived,” he said.
Rabiu added that mining had prevented him from working as a truck pusher at the market.
Mining continues despite deaths
The miners’ return underscores the economic pressures facing people who depend on informal mining for their livelihoods.
At the time of the Saturday visit, no security personnel were seen at the site, while mining activities continued.
The deaths of the 37 detained miners have meanwhile triggered investigations, with authorities seeking to establish what happened to those arrested during the September operations.
The NSCDC has attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, but the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
