Niger: NSCDC has no right to shoot at us – Teenage gold miner cries out

A teenage gold miner in Niger State has accused Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel of unlawfully shooting at miners at a gold mining site. The boy, whose name was not disclosed, made the claim in an interview with News Central Television in response to the deaths of 37 suspected miners in NSCDC custody. The teenager argued that the NSCDC claimed the miners died from heat exposure, which he contested.

He called for an impartial investigation into the incident to ascertain the cause of death and hold accountable anyone found responsible. The boy emphasized their age, stating, "We are under 18, and we are not allowed to be taken inside a cell. Heat cannot kill a gold miner." He also insisted that they are not involved in illegal mining, explaining, "We are not into illegal mining.

The Niger State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps don't have the right to shoot at us." The boy further revealed their educational background, saying, "We are not illiterate. We are educated. We do this to help our parents in one or two. Our parents are very poor. We are the ones feeding our parents. It is what we do here that we can pay our school fees."