Families besiege hospitals, mortuaries, demand bodies for burial
BY SILAS EZEUGWU, Abuja And ABU NMODU, Minna
As relatives of the 37 artisanal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) yesterday besieged hospitals and mortuaries in Minna, Niger State, demanding the release of their loved ones’ remains for burial, a grieving father, Mohammed Nuru, recounted how he lost his son and nine close relatives after efforts to secure their release from custody failed.
Nuru, a resident of Tunga community in Minna, was among relatives who said they were denied access to the detainees following their arrest, despite repeated appeals to the authorities.
The tragedy sparked another round of violence in Minna following the release of the bodies of 15 of the deceased to the Tunga community for burial.
The unrest followed the deaths of the young miners, who were allegedly arrested while illegally excavating a gold-mining site in Wushishi.
Residents of Tunga, which recorded the highest number of deaths, told LEADERSHIP Weekend after the burial, conducted in accordance with Islamic rites at Tunga Mosque, that they believed the miners had been deliberately killed by the officers.
Father Recalls Loss of Son, Relatives
Mohammadu Nuru, whose son, Sabiu, was among the 15 miners buried in Tunga, said he took food to the detainees and attempted to see them after their arrest but was denied access.
He said nine of the victims were his close relatives and neighbours, adding that the tragedy had devastated his family.
The grieving father said his son and other children, some as young as 14, had followed artisanal miners to dig for gold because of their poor economic circumstances and desire to support their families.
He said they never imagined that their attempt to earn a living would end in tragedy.
“I lost my son, Sabiu, and nine other close relations and neighbours. My family is badly hit, and the experience of that dark day will continue to remain painful for us.
“Sadly, I went there with food and also to see them when they were arrested, but we were not allowed to see them. We never knew it would end this way,” he lamented.
Another member of the community, Maikudi Mohammed, dismissed rumours that the miners were under the influence of drugs, saying they were children between the ages of 12 and 17 who were struggling to survive economically.
He said that when reports of the deaths began circulating in the media, community members rushed to the relevant office to confirm the information. By then, he said, the authorities had taken the bodies to the General Hospital mortuary.
Mohammed added that they saw the bodies in a van, with foam and blood around the mouths of some of the victims.
Survivor Alleges Neglect in Custody
A check at Minna General Hospital by LEADERSHIP Weekend yesterday showed that the surviving detainees had been discharged, except one, identified as Aliyu.
