“We’re Ready to Die Here”: Miners Return to Niger Gold Site Despite Arrests, Deaths

Artisanal miners have returned to the M.I. Wushishi mining site in Minna, Niger State, despite a recent mass arrest of suspected illegal miners and the reported deaths of 37 detainees.

The miners, including teenagers, women and adults, were seen working at the site on Saturday, using shovels, picks and other hand tools to search for gold.

Some of them said they had returned because abandoning mining would leave them without a means of livelihood.

The development followed operations conducted by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps around the Lt. Gen. Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate in Minna on September 15 and 16.

The NSCDC said the operation resulted in the arrest of scores of suspected illegal miners.

However, the suspended NSCDC commandant in Niger State, Suberu Aniviye, later said scores of those detained were found dead in the early hours of Thursday following a suspected outbreak of disease.

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Despite the reported deaths, miners returned to the site and resumed their activities.

During a visit to the mining site on Saturday, no security personnel were reportedly seen in the area, while miners continued digging and processing excavated soil.

One of the miners, Salisu DanMallam, said he had worked at the site for more than 15 years and could not afford to stay away for long because mining remained his major source of income.

He said the arrests had disrupted the miners’ livelihoods and that he was still unable to determine how many people remained in detention or had died.

Another miner, 26-year-old Buhari Rabiu, said he had spent about two years at the site.

Rabiu alleged that he had previously been arrested and assaulted by NSCDC personnel during a raid on suspected illegal miners.

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He claimed that he sustained injuries during the encounter and was taken to hospital for treatment before his release after his parents intervened.

Rabiu further alleged that N120,000 was collected for his release and claimed that one of his friends was shot by NSCDC personnel during an encounter with miners.

The allegations could not be independently verified.

Despite the risks associated with illegal mining and the recent security operation, the miners said they had continued returning to the site because they had few alternatives for earning a living.

Some also said they avoided digging too deeply because of the risk of landslides at the site.

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