Ministry Denies Knowledge Of Operation That Led To Death Of Niger Miners

Assistant director in charge of Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals in Niger State, Hajiya Halima Omolara Ibrahim, has disclosed that she was not aware of the enforcement operation that led to the death of 37 Miners in Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) custody.

She however told the judicial commission of inquiry that there are 400 registered artisanal miners in Niger State apart from the licensed miners.

“My office is not aware of the enforcement that led to the death of the 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the NSCDC between 16th and 17th September 2026.

“Men of the NSCDC have the records of the miners on mining sites without anybody knowing. They have killed miners in Korokpa area. They have killed in Kwakuti; they have killed in Garafini area of Borgu local government.

“All these alleged killings went unreported. The death of the 37 suspected illegal miners in their custody became public because it happened in their office and there is no way they can cover it up,” she told the commission.

She told the Justice Mohammed Mohammed Judicial Commission of Inquiry how she was beaten and humiliated by the operatives of the Mining Marshal in April this year

She told the commission that while on her official function to one of the mining sites in Kwakuti in Paikoro local government area, the operatives of the Mining Marshal invaded the site and effected the arrest of the artisanal miners on the site along with herself.

She added even when she identified herself with her official identity card, they kept deaf ears.

The assistant director revealed that on April 17, 2026 in the course of her duty at a mining site in Kwakuti, men of the Mining Marshal subjected her to all manner of tortures and detained her from 6pm to 11pm same day

She explained that her function as assistant director in the Federal Ministry of Solid Mineral and head of artisanal miners in Niger State, included registration of artisanal miners, supervising the operational activities of the artisanal miners, and enforcing their activities.

The assistant director disclosed that as part of her official functions in the State a total of 400 artisanal miners have been registered by her office to carry out their mining activities alongside license miners in the state.