Niger 37: Why we turned to mining – Survivors
Some of the alleged illegal miners arrested in Niger State have said they turned to mining for survival after persistent attacks by armed bandits forced them to flee their homes and farmlands. For years, insecurity has forced hundreds of residents of communities in the state to abandon their homes, farms and businesses in search of […]
Niger's 37 miners turned to mining for survival after bandit attacks caused them to flee their homes and farmlands, according to survivors. The incident in Allawa community, Shiroro Local Government Area, resulted in the deaths of 37 miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The miners had been forced to abandon their lives in search of safety due to persistent insecurity, which had claimed dozens of lives and displaced many residents.
The survivors, who spoke to Daily Trust, said that with farming and other traditional livelihoods no longer possible, they turned to mining as a means of survival. The survivors, including Dauda Shehu and AbdulSalam Yakubu, alleged that they were arrested while mining and were subjected to beatings and inhumane conditions in a small cell, leading to the deaths of their fellow miners.
The Federal Government has constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the incident, with two weeks to complete its work. The survivors are demanding the return of their belongings and urging the government to address insecurity so that displaced residents can return home and resume farming.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Trust's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
