Vice President Kashim Shettima has announced N250 million in Federal Government support for the families of 37 illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State.
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Shettima made the announcement on Monday when he visited Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago at the Government House in Minna to convey President Bola Tinubu’s condolences to the governor, the bereaved families and residents of the state.
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The Vice President said the circumstances surrounding the deaths raised questions that required answers, adding that the affected families deserved to know what happened to their loved ones.
He said the financial assistance could not compensate for the loss of lives or address all the concerns raised by the victims’ relatives.
Shettima also cautioned against politicising the tragedy or blaming Governor Bago for the deaths, stating that the governor was not responsible for the incident.
He urged stakeholders to treat the matter with compassion and responsibility rather than allowing the tragedy to deepen political, religious or other divisions.
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According to him, every citizen was entitled to protection by the state, while victims deserved dignity, survivors required proper care and the families of those who died deserved the truth about the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Vice President said the Federal Government’s intervention was intended to support the bereaved families, while acknowledging that no financial assistance could adequately make up for the loss of human lives.
Shettima also said leaders should be accountable when lives are lost and called for the tragedy to be handled in a manner that would provide answers to the affected families.
Bago thanked the Vice President for visiting the state and conveying the President’s condolences. He described the visit as a show of solidarity with the bereaved families and the people of Niger State.
The governor said Niger had experienced several tragedies in recent times, including insecurity, mining-related incidents and petrol tanker explosions.
During the visit, some relatives of the deceased were identified, while families who later spoke expressed appreciation for Shettima’s visit and the Federal Government’s financial intervention.
They said the Vice President’s presence gave them reassurance that the Federal Government was concerned about their situation following the deaths.
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