Two Siblings Die in Niger Mining Site Collapse

Two siblings, Zubairu Ibrahim, 20, and Sadiq Ibrahim, 25, were killed following the collapse of a mining site on them at the Kakaki village in the Paikoro Local Government Area of Niger State.

This sad incident happened on Saturday, months after another mine collapsed at Shiroro, killing many miners—an incident that shows the recurring hazards from illegal mining activities within the state.

According to reports, the siblings have left their home without giving their parents any suspicion of their mission to join others in digging solid minerals at the mining site.

Worried by their failure to return for dinner and evening prayers, the family had begun a search. Their father, Zubairu Ibrahim, had thought they might be out with some of their friends, only to discover later that they had gone to a mining site to search for gold.

An alarm was raised by members of the community, who later searched thoroughly to find the lifeless bodies of the two brothers buried under the collapsed soil in the mine.

The incident was confirmed on Tuesday by the Niger State Ministry of Mineral Resources. According to Dibie Maureen, a spokesman for the ministry, officials led by Permanent Secretary Yunusa Nahauni paid a condolence visit to the bereaved family on Sunday.

The delegation comprised directors of the ministry, the representatives from the Miners Association, and the State Chapter Caretaker Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Mines Workers.

He said the deaths could have been averted if the community had adhered to the Governor’s order suspending all mining activities in the state.

The suspension was imposed to nip such tragedies in the bud and check illegal mining. He reiterated that the suspension was still in effect, adding that anybody found violating the regulations would be dealt with per the law.

We condole with the bereaved family. This death would have been averted if the community had abided by the Governor’s order suspending mining in the state. The ministry will continue to crack down on illegal mining operations, Nahauni said

The Permanent Secretary also called on the community to report any discovery of mineral elements to the ministry for proper guidance to prevent future occurrences.

Tensions, however, flared when the government team attempted to visit the mine site to assess the situation. Villagers suspicious of the team’s intentions blocked access and threatened to assault them.

The villagers further said that some officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps who paid a previous visit had extorted from them, as they made a demand of N25,000 from the parents of the deceased to fuel their vehicle.

In reaction to the allegations, Maureen said that the district head of Tutungo Paiko Local Government Area, Musa Abdullahi, thanked the ministry for keeping them abreast of its visit and confirmed the village head of Butu Kakaki, Mallam Ayuba Ahmadu, had informed him of the tragic incident.

The brothers were laid to rest before the ministry’s officials arrived for the condolence visit. Reiterating its commitment, the state government shall take stern measures in implementing the mining suspension and investigate the cause of the accident so as not to have more loss of life.

SOURCE: PUNCH

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