Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday announced N250 million in Federal Government support for the families of the 37 illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State.
Shettima also cautioned Nigerians against blaming Governor Mohammed Bago for the deaths or politicising the tragedy, saying the governor had no hand in the incident.
The Vice President spoke when he visited Bago at the Niger State Government House, Minna, to convey President Bola Tinubu’s condolences to the governor, the bereaved families and the people of the state.
Shettima said the deaths raised serious questions that required answers, stressing that families of the victims deserved to know the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
He said the Federal Government’s financial support could not erase the pain of losing loved ones or answer all the questions being asked by the bereaved families.
“The death of 37 young men in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps calls for initial questions. A grieving mother cannot be consoled by grief, nor can grief answer a father’s questions,” Shettima said.
“There can be no room for hiding for leaders when lives are lost within the perimeter of their sphere. We should avoid weaponising the departed to demonise Governor Bago. He had no hand in what has befallen their lives.”
The Vice President said the tragedy should transcend political, religious and other divisions, stressing that every citizen was entitled to the protection of the state.
According to him, every victim deserved dignity, survivors deserved care, while the families of the deceased deserved the truth about what happened.
Shettima said the Federal Government would provide N250 million to support the affected families, adding that no amount of money could adequately compensate for the loss of human lives.
He urged all stakeholders to approach the incident with compassion and responsibility rather than allow it to become a source of further division.
Responding, Bago thanked the Vice President for the visit and for conveying the President’s condolences to the state.
The governor described Shettima’s visit as a demonstration of empathy and solidarity with the affected families and the people of Niger State.
Bago said the President’s message had been clearly delivered to the victims’ families and the people of the state.
He lamented that Niger had suffered several tragedies in recent times, including insecurity, mining-related incidents and petrol tanker explosions.
During the visit, Bago invited relatives of some of the deceased to stand and be identified.
Some of the victims’ families who spoke after the visit expressed appreciation for the Vice President’s visit and the Federal Government’s intervention.
They said Shettima’s presence demonstrated that the Federal Government was concerned about their plight and had not abandoned them in the aftermath of the tragedy.
