“Tinubu criminalising poor miners” — Atiku questions 37 deaths in NSCDC custody
Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has criticized the administration of President Bola Tinubu for what he describes as the criminalization of impoverished Nigerians engaged in artisanal mining. His remarks come in response to the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
Abubakar’s statement follows the circulation of a video featuring a young boy from a gold-mining community in Niger, which has prompted concerns about the persistent poverty experienced by residents of an area rich in natural resources. He questioned how a community with significant gold reserves could remain impoverished and unable to afford basic necessities such as education for its children.
“How can a community sitting upon gold remain so poor that it cannot educate its children?” Abubakar asked.
He emphasized the need for accountability regarding Nigeria’s management of its mineral resources and expressed concerns over the lack of benefits reaching local communities involved in extraction processes.
Abubakar contrasted the current government’s approach with the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMI), implemented during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure, which aimed to formalize artisanal mining operations.
“Buhari saw people to formalize. Tinubu sees poor people to criminalize,” he said.
The candidate further described the child in the video as emblematic of the struggles faced by those in mining communities. He stated, “This boy is evidence against the Tinubu government. His intelligence exposes the opportunities it has failed to provide. His poverty exposes the injustice of Nigeria’s mining economy.”
Abubakar called on the Federal Government to clarify the status of PAGMI in Niger State and to provide information regarding the deaths of the 37 miners. He argued that the label of “illegal miners” should not exempt the government from providing accountability in their deaths.
“The gold beneath their community should build classrooms and livelihoods, not graves,” Abubakar asserted.
