Atiku visits Minna, donates N20m to families of 37 mining tragedy victims
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has donated N20 million to families of the 37 suspected artisanal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the donation on Tuesday during a visit to Minna, where he met families and survivors of the incident.
The former Vice-President also paid a condolence visit to the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Farouk Bahago, and met former military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd.).
Speaking with the affected families, Atiku described the deaths as a painful reminder of the hardship faced by young Nigerians struggling to survive amid economic difficulties.
He said he was particularly disturbed by the account of one of the survivors, who reportedly described the conditions in the detention facility.
“It was a gory tale listening to one of the survivors. He told us that more than 68 of them were crammed into one small detention facility and that conditions became so desperate that they had to drink one another’s urine just to stay hydrated,” Atiku said.
He added that the victims were entitled to dignity and protection regardless of the allegations against them.
“No Nigerian should ever be subjected to such indignity in the custody of his own government. These were human beings in the care of the state,” he said.
