LIFESTYLE Culture

Interior Minister Visits Minna Over Miners’ Deaths

by admin on | 2026-09-19 17:49:26

Share: Facebook | Twitter | Whatsapp | Linkedin Visits: 29

---

Interior Minister Visits Minna Over Miners’ Deaths

By Maryam Muhammad 

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has led a Federal Government delegation to Niger State to commiserate with the state government over the deaths of 37 artisanal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Speaking during the visit in Minna, the Minister described the incident as a very sad development, not only for the people of Minna and Niger State, but for the entire country.

Mr Tunji-Ojo said the incident was unfortunate, particularly at a time when Niger State was making significant strides in development and strengthening its internal security measures under Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.

He assured that the Ministry of Interior would work with relevant authorities to get to the root of the incident, establish what happened and take steps to prevent a recurrence.

The Minister also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to continued collaboration with the Niger State Government in strengthening security and maintaining peace across the state.

Responding, Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago thanked the Federal Government for its prompt response and for sending the delegation to commiserate with the state over what he described as a devastating incident.

Governor Bago welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to deploy a committee of experts to conduct laboratory tests on the suspected mining area, saying the exercise would help determine the nature of the mineral resources in the area.

The Governor reiterated the need for a thorough investigation to establish the root cause of the incident and put measures in place to prevent a recurrence.

He also commended the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army and the Department of State Services (DSS) for their timely intervention, which he said helped to prevent further escalation and thwart attempts by criminal elements to cause violence in Minna.

The Governor assured that the state government would continue to cooperate with the Federal Government and security agencies towards restoring peace and ensuring the safety of residents.