RismadarVoice Reporters
September 24, 2026
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has donated ₦20 million to the families of 37 artisanal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.
Atiku announced the donation during a visit to Minna, where he met families and survivors of the incident and paid a condolence visit to the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Farouk Bahago. He also visited former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (retd.).
The 37 detainees died on September 17 after being arrested during NSCDC operations against suspected illegal mining activities on September 15 and 16.
The circumstances surrounding their deaths have not been conclusively established. The Federal Government has inaugurated a 10-member independent investigative committee to determine the immediate and remote causes of the incident, while officers linked to the case have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the incident as a painful reminder of the difficulties confronting young Nigerians seeking livelihoods amid prevailing economic pressures.
He said Nigeria’s future depended on greater investment in young people, expanded economic opportunities and the creation of legitimate avenues through which citizens could earn sustainable livelihoods.
Atiku said he was particularly disturbed by an account presented to him by one of the survivors concerning the conditions in which the detainees were allegedly held.
According to the account, more than 68 people were held in a detention facility under severe conditions. The allegations surrounding the conditions of detention form part of broader questions being examined as authorities investigate the deaths.
Atiku said persons held in government custody were entitled to protection of their lives and dignity under the law and called for the circumstances surrounding the deaths to be fully established.
He said the incident required truth, justice and accountability, while stressing that conclusions should follow a credible investigation.
The former vice president also linked the incident to wider concerns about unemployment, poverty and the cost of living, arguing that attention should be given to the economic circumstances that push some young Nigerians towards hazardous and poorly regulated livelihoods.
Atiku further criticised the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, arguing that prevailing economic pressures were affecting households and restricting opportunities for young people.
He said economic reforms should ultimately be assessed by their impact on citizens and called for increased attention to measures capable of reducing the cost of living.
The ADC presidential candidate also reiterated his proposal for a targeted production subsidy for petroleum products refined domestically if elected president.
According to him, the proposal would be directed at supporting domestic refining and employment while reducing costs for consumers, rather than reinstating an open-ended subsidy regime on imported petroleum products.
“My promise to make life affordable again is not a political slogan. It is a solemn covenant with the Nigerian people,” Atiku said.
He added that an administration led by him would seek to support domestic production and ensure that government interventions delivered measurable benefits to citizens.
Atiku maintained that Nigerian youths required greater access to education, skills development, employment and economic opportunities capable of providing sustainable livelihoods.
