Bago Seeks Executive Order to Ban Mining in Parts of Niger State

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Governor of Niger State, Mr Umaru Bago, has called on President Bola Tinubu to issue an executive order banning mining activities in areas considered problematic across the state.

Mr Bago made the call on Sunday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, following the deaths of 37 minors, who are suspected illegal miners, in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The governor said the federal government needed to intervene more decisively in the state’s mining activities, noting that the state government has limited powers over federal security agencies and mining regulations.

He said illegal mining had become a major challenge in Niger State, with children increasingly involved in artisanal mining at the expense of their education.

Mr Bago also said the state government was not informed of any arrests linked to the deaths, adding that the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police were investigating the incident.

The Niger State Governor said he saw “a lot of corpses on the floor” after the incident and alleged that some of the deceased were not miners, adding that the location where the suspects were arrested was not a licensed mining site but a housing estate.

The 37 detained children reportedly died on September 17 after 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners were arrested during anti-illegal mining operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.

The incident triggered protests in Minna, with authorities imposing a curfew following violent clashes between protesters and security personnel.

The federal government has since suspended the Niger State NSCDC Commandant and 20 other officers pending an independent investigation into the deaths.

The Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, also constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the identities of the deceased, their arrest and detention, as well as the circumstances and cause of their deaths.

The committee was given two weeks to submit its report following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive and transparent investigation.

The NSCDC had initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, while stating that medical examinations would determine the actual cause.