By Akinwale Kasali
In a disturbing development, illegal miners have allegedly returned to the mining sites, days after 37 persons died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.
The incident which is under investigation, has seen teenagers and adults return to the site, raising security concerns.
Images show that the miners also included women, the underaged, adults mining gold in M.I Wushishi.
Recall that last Thursday, the NSCDC said the suspected illegal miners were arrested during operations conducted on September 15 and 16 around Lt Gen Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate in Minna, the Niger state Capital.
They were detained, and 37 of the detained died in the NSCDC custody in Minna, Niger State.
This led to the suspension of the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Aniviye, alongside other Officers fingered in the said arrest.
Recall that Aniviye had said “scores of the detained suspects were found dead in the early hours of Thursday following a suspected outbreak of disease”.
Although some miners stayed away from the pits following the NSCDC raid and the deaths of the suspected illegal miners in custody, many others returned to the mining sites.
The miners said they had no choice but to continue mining, describing the activity as their only source of livelihood and means of survival.
According to TheCable, an online News Platform, it visited the M.I. Wushishi mining site on Saturday and found no security personnel at the site.
“The miners were working at the site with shovels, picks and other hand tools, digging into the exposed earth.
“Some scooped loose soil into sacks and pans while others used the flowing stream to separate the excavated material.
“Piles of freshly dug earth and muddy soil were scattered around the site”.
One of the miners,
Salisu DanMallam, in a chat with The Cable, said he was not present when the arrests were made on Monday.
Dan Mallam said he stayed away from the mining site on Tuesday and Wednesday because of the NSCDC operation.
“I wasn’t here when the incident happened on Monday and they made the arrest.
“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.”
He said the decision to stay away from the site was affecting his livelihood because mining was his main source of income.
“If you don’t come out for a day or two you will feel it because there are no profitable jobs,” he said.
He added that miners in the area had developed close ties over the years.
“We just treat each other like family here. I don’t have direct blood among those who died in the custody of NSCDC.”
He added that he had yet to establish the number of people who were dead or alive, following the arrests.
“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.
Dan Mallam said miners in the area do not usually excavate deep into the ground 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.
He said he had worked as a miner in the area for more than 15 years.
He also noted that he also works as a driver for a block-making business, but said the job is unprofitable.
Buhari Rabiu, a 26-Year Old Miner, said who he had spent the last two years mining in the pit.
He said he was informed that the NSCDC officers were approaching the area, prompting him and others to leave the site.
“I was informed earlier that the officers were coming. One of the women informed us, and we left.
“Not long after we left, we heard that civil defence was arresting us.”
He also stated that he had been previously arrested and allegedly assaulted by NSCDC officers during a raid on suspected illegal miners.
He alleged that he was beaten and injured, as officers of the NSCDC took him to a hospital for treatment before his release, after his parents sought to secure his bail.
“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 also alleged that N120,000 was collected as bail during the incident.
He also alleged that one of his friends was shot at close range by NSCDC officers 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,” Rabiu said.
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