After 37 Miners D!e In Custody, Bago Calls For Presidential Mining Ban

Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has called on the Presidency or the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development to issue an executive order banning mining activities in locations identified as problematic across the state.

Bago made the call during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, against the backdrop of the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The circumstances surrounding the deaths remain under investigation.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the governor said illegal mining had become a major challenge in Niger State, particularly as some children were reportedly being drawn into artisanal mining instead of remaining in school.

Bago argued that the state government faced limitations in enforcing mining regulations, especially when federal security agencies and other institutions were involved. He therefore called for stronger intervention from the Federal Government, including an executive order restricting mining in areas where the activity had become particularly problematic.

The governor said, “We need decisive action. We need an executive order from the Presidency or from the Ministry of Mineral Resources to ban mining in certain locations where we have seen they are problematic. Once that is done, it can be enforced.”

Bago also expressed concern about the growing involvement of children in artisanal mining. He referenced a UNICEF report which he said projected a severe impact on school attendance in the state by 2027, claiming that children could increasingly leave classrooms for mining activities. The specific UNICEF projection could not be independently verified from the material available for this report.

The governor further said that some residents had become dependent on income from mining, making it difficult for them to abandon the activity without alternative sources of livelihood.

His latest comments come days after 37 suspected illegal miners died in NSCDC custody following enforcement operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16. The NSCDC initially said the detainees were found dead following a suspected disease outbreak, while authorities have stressed that the definitive cause of death remains to be established through investigation and medical examination.

The Federal Government has since suspended 20 NSCDC officers in connection with the incident and established a 10-member independent committee to investigate the identities of the deceased, their arrest and detention, as well as the cause and circumstances of their deaths. The committee has two weeks to submit its report.

Bago had also announced the suspension of mining activities across Niger State pending the outcome of investigations and called for stronger enforcement of responsible mining practices.

The governor’s latest demand places renewed focus on the regulation of mining activities in Niger State, particularly in areas where authorities have identified concerns involving illegal operations, public safety and the impact of mining on children and communities.