A survivor of the mass death of suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State has claimed that the gold-mining site where the men were working belongs to former military Head of State, retired General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.
The survivor, Malam Babawo Tudun Nasera, made the claim while recounting the arrest and death of his 17-year-old brother, Salim, who was among the miners detained by NSCDC officers.
Nasera said the miners were arrested at the mining site after authorities moved to stop them from working and were subsequently kept in NSCDC custody for three days before the deaths were discovered.
In a video obtained by ChroniclesReporters, Nasera said the authorities had instructed the miners to stop working at the site.
“They wanted us to stop working at the site,” he said.
When asked why the authorities wanted the mining operation stopped, Nasera said the owner of the site had instructed that work should continue.
“They wanted the work to stop, even though the owner of the place had said that we should continue working,” he said.
Asked who owned the site, Nasera replied: “It belongs to Babangida.”
When asked to clarify which Babangida he was referring to, Nasera identified the owner as retired General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, Nigeria’s former military Head of State, popularly known as IBB.
Asked whether Babangida had instructed the miners to continue working at the site, Nasera responded: “Yes, he said we should continue working.”
The claim could not immediately be independently verified by ChroniclesReporters. It also remained unclear whether Babangida personally owns the mining operation, holds a mining lease over the site, owns the land where the operation is located, or whether the survivor was referring to him in another capacity.
The allegation nevertheless raises questions about the ownership and operation of the mining site where the miners were arrested and subsequently detained.
The NSCDC has accused the miners of engaging in illegal mining, while survivors have maintained that they were working at the site in an attempt to earn a living and provide food for their families.
Nasera said his younger brother, Salim, was 17 years old when he died.
“They killed him. We saw him,” he said.
Asked to identify his brother, he said: “His name was Salim.”
“He was 17 years old,” Nasera added.
According to him, the miners had gone to the site because they had no other means of feeding their families.
“We went there looking for food. The mining site was where people went to find something to feed their families. It was hard work. Then Civil Defence officers came, arrested them and took them away. What were we supposed to do?” he said.
Nasera further alleged that the detainees remained in NSCDC custody for three days and that efforts by relatives and others to secure their release were unsuccessful.
“They kept them in custody for three days. They were all in their custody. We tried to get them released, but they refused and said they would not allow it,” he said.
Asked to confirm that the miners had spent three days in custody, he replied: “Yes, they were in their custody. They had been there for three days.”
He also questioned the circumstances surrounding the deaths, saying the detainees had received food before the bodies were discovered.
“Yesterday, they brought food to them and they ate. Each of them ate until he was satisfied. But from yesterday morning until today, what happened that made us come and find out that someone had died?” Nasera asked.
He said the detainees were also given an unidentified substance or medicine and were exposed to heat outside.
“They gave them some kind of medicine or something. They were also exposed to the heat outside,” he said.
When asked what could have caused the deaths if the substance they were given was not responsible, Nasera responded: “If it was not medicine, what else could it have been?”
His account comes amid investigations into the deaths of at least 37 suspected illegal miners following their arrest by NSCDC personnel in Niger State.
Another survivor has separately recounted the conditions inside the detention facility, alleging that those held there endured severe hardship and saying, “We drank our urine to survive.”
The deaths have triggered demands for answers over the circumstances surrounding the detention, treatment and deaths of the miners.
Meanwhile, retired General Babangida has condemned the deaths and called for a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
Babangida, speaking through Dr Danladi Umar Abdulhameed, the Tambarin Kagara, described the incident as tragic and deeply disturbing.
The former Head of State expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and commended the Niger State Government for constituting a committee of inquiry and initiating medical and forensic examinations aimed at establishing the circumstances and actual cause of the deaths.
He said the steps being taken by the authorities were necessary to establish the facts surrounding the incident and ensure that appropriate action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
Babangida also appealed to the people of Niger State, particularly youths and families of the deceased, to remain calm and allow the investigations to run their course.
He urged all parties to avoid actions capable of escalating tensions or disrupting peace and security in the state, stressing the importance of allowing the relevant authorities to establish the truth surrounding the deaths.
The former military ruler expressed hope that the investigations would be conducted transparently and that their outcome would provide answers to the affected families and the people of Niger State.
The ongoing investigation is expected to establish what caused the deaths, the circumstances surrounding the miners’ arrest and detention, and the exact events that occurred between their apprehension and the discovery of the bodies.