The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on behalf of the Federal Government, led a delegation to Niger State to commiserate with the government and people over the tragic death of 37 artisanal miners who died under the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Niger State Command.
Tunji-Ojo conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s condolences, describing the incident as a painful national loss, and assured that the Federal Government will work with the state to prevent a recurrence.
He further described the incident as sad, not just for the people of Minna, neighbouring communities and Niger State Government, but for the entire country as Niger State is regarded as one of the key states in Nigeria.
The Minister stated that the incident was unfortunate and coming at a time when great strides is happening in the state, coupled with Governor Bago’s efforts in enforcing homeland security measures and internal security mechanism.
He reaffirmed that the Ministry will get to the root of the matter and ensure that such incident never happens again, while also reiterating that the Ministry will continue to collaborate with the government of Niger State.
In his remarks, Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, thanked the federal government for its swift response and for commiserating with the state, adding that the incident has been devastating for the entire people of the state.
Bago appreciated the idea of the federal government for sending a committee of experts to come and take lab tests on the purported area of mining to determine the kind of resources contained in it.
The governor had re-echoed the need for a proper investigation to find the root cause of the matter and forestall future recurrence.
Bago applauded the Nigeria Police, Army and the DSS for their response which helped greatly in thwarting some attempts by criminals to cause mayhem in the state capital.
