The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has demanded explanations over the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria security and civil defense corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
Atiku made the call while reacting to a video featuring a young boy identified as Yusuf Aliyu, whose intelligence and living conditions sparked concern from the former vice president.
In a statement, Atiku said the boy’s circumstances reflected the failure of leadership to provide education and opportunities for children living in mineral-rich communities.
He expressed concern for Yusuf’s safety and pledged to support his education, stressing that any effort to reach the boy must be handled through his family and appropriate child-protection channels.
The former vice president questioned how communities sitting on gold deposits could remain trapped in poverty, without adequate schools, economic opportunities and protection.
Atiku also criticised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over its handling of artisanal mining, contrasting it with the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMI), established under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to him, while Buhari’s administration sought to formalise artisanal mining, the Tinubu administration had focused on raids, detention and the criminalisation of vulnerable miners.
“Buhari saw people to formalise. Tinubu sees poor people to criminalise,” Atiku stated.
He demanded an explanation of what had happened to PAGMI’s interventions in Niger State and called for accountability over the deaths in NSCDC custody.
Atiku maintained that Nigeria’s mineral wealth should be used to develop communities, build classrooms and create livelihoods rather than leave residents in poverty.
“The gold beneath their community should build classrooms and livelihoods, not graves,” he added.
