Atiku donates ₦20m to families of Miners who died in NSCDC custody
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has donated ₦20m to the families of 37 artisanal miners who died in the custody of the NSCDC in Minna, Niger State. Read More: https://punchng.com/atiku-donates-%e2%82%a620m-to-families-of-miners-who-died-in-nscdc-custody/
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar donated ₦20 million to the families of 37 artisanal miners who died in custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State. Atiku visited Minna and paid a condolence call to the Emir of Minna. The 37 miners died on September 17 after being arrested during NSCDC operations against illegal mining.
The circumstances surrounding their deaths are under investigation. A 10-member independent investigative committee has been constituted by the Federal Government to ascertain the causes of the deaths. Meanwhile, 20 NSCDC officers, including the Niger State Commandant, have been suspended pending the investigation's outcome. The Niger State Government has also formed a nine-member commission to investigate the incident, including issues of responsibility and accountability.
Atiku described the incident as a tragedy demanding truth, justice, and accountability, and criticized the poor conditions the detainees were held in, with one survivor alleging that over 68 miners were crammed into a small detention facility.
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