That was the grim declaration of some teenage and adult miners who returned to the M.I. Wushishi mining site in Minna, Niger State, even as the mass arrest of suspected illegal miners was still underway, insisting that they had no other means of livelihood.
The miners returned to the site despite the arrest of scores
of their colleagues by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and
the subsequent deaths of 37 of those detained.
Many of the miners, including boys, women and adults, were
seen working at the site on Saturday, digging for gold with shovels, picks and
other hand tools.
Some of them said they had returned to the mining site on
the same day the NSCDC carried out the mass arrests, arguing that abandoning
mining would leave them without any source of income.
Their return came after the NSCDC conducted operations
around the Lt. Gen. Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate in Minna on September 15 and
16.
The corps said the operation led to the arrest of suspected
illegal miners.
Suberu Aniviye, the suspended NSCDC commandant in Niger
State, subsequently said “scores” of the detained suspects were found dead in
the early hours of Thursday following a suspected outbreak of disease.
However, the deaths did not stop some miners from returning
to the site.
During a visit to the M.I. Wushishi mining site on Saturday,
no security personnel were seen in the area, while miners continued their
activities.
Some scooped loose soil into sacks and pans, while others
used a flowing stream to separate the excavated material. Piles of freshly dug
earth and muddy soil were scattered across the site.
One of the miners, Salisu DanMallam, said he was not at the
site when the arrests were made but stayed away for two days because of the
NSCDC operation.
“I wasn’t here when the incident happened on Monday and they
made the arrest,” he said.
“I did not come out again since they made the arrest. I was
not here on Tuesday and Wednesday because of the way the civil defence raided
and that was why I did not come out.”
DanMallam, who said he had been mining in the area for more
than 15 years, said staying away from the site had immediately affected his
livelihood.
“If you don’t come out for a day or two you will feel it
because there are no profitable jobs,” he said.
He said the miners had developed close relationships over
the years, describing them as a family despite not being related by blood.
“We just treat each other like family here,” he said.
“I don’t have direct blood among those who died in the
custody of NSCDC.”
DanMallam said he was still unable to establish the number
of miners who had died or remained in detention following the arrests.
“I have not ascertained the number of people who are dead or
alive. I know that some people were arrested but I haven’t seen them,” he said.
He also said miners in the area avoided digging deep into
the earth because of the risk of landslides.
“Even if we dig, we don’t dig beyond our knee level. We
don’t dig much because of landslide,” he said.
DanMallam said he also worked as a driver for a block-making
business but found the job unprofitable compared with mining.
Another miner, 26-year-old Buhari Rabiu, said he had spent
about two years working at the site.
Rabiu said he and others fled the area after receiving
information that NSCDC officers were approaching.
“I was informed earlier that the officers were coming. One
of the women informed us, and we left,” he said.
“Not long after we left, we heard that civil defence was
arresting us.”
Rabiu also alleged that he had previously been arrested and
assaulted by NSCDC personnel during a raid on suspected illegal miners.
He claimed that he sustained injuries during the encounter
and was taken to hospital for treatment before his release after his parents
intervened.
“When my parents wanted to bail me, they insisted that NSCDC
must treat me. They took me to the hospital to stitch my wounds,” he said.
Rabiu further alleged that N120,000 was collected for his
release.
He also alleged that one of his friends was shot at close
range by NSCDC personnel during an encounter with miners.
“They did not even want to grant me bail. It was barely four
weeks ago. I was there for four days at the time. They did not grant me bail
until my relative arrived,” he said.
Rabiu added that his involvement in mining had prevented him
from working as a truck pusher at the market.
The miners’ return to the site highlights the economic
pressures confronting the informal mining community, with workers saying they
have few alternatives to the activity despite the risks associated with it.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths of the 37 detained
miners remain a subject of concern, with the NSCDC maintaining that the deaths
followed a suspected disease outbreak.
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