Presidential aspirant of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Engr. (Dr.) Yakubu Mohammed Kingsley, has called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the reported death of 37 suspected artisanal miners while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.

Kingsley, in a statement made available yesterday in Abuja, expressed deep sorrow over the incident, saying accounts reportedly emerging from survivors were “deeply distressing.”
“There are moments when a nation must pause, put politics aside and simply mourn. The deaths in Minna are one of such moments,” he said.

He commiserated with the families of the deceased, the government and people of Niger State, saying the reported deaths were particularly painful because they occurred while the victims were in the custody of an institution established to protect lives and property and assist in maintaining law and order.

“Whatever the circumstances that led to their detention, they remained human beings whose lives deserved protection, dignity and humane treatment,” Kingsley said.

The PRP aspirant, who is challenging the May 25 presidential primary of the party, said no Nigerian should lose his life while seeking a means of survival.

He said reports that some detainees were allegedly held in an overcrowded cell, struggled to breathe and repeatedly called for help before some of them died demanded an urgent, impartial investigation.

According to him, Nigerians should be informed of the outcome of any investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

Beyond the immediate tragedy, Kingsley said the incident raised broader questions about the conditions driving Nigerians, including young people, into hazardous artisanal mining.
He said hardship, unemployment and limited access to formal employment, education, finance and sustainable livelihoods had made artisanal mining a means of survival in some mineral-producing communities.

He, however, stressed that economic hardship could not justify illegal mining, environmental degradation or criminal exploitation of Nigeria’s mineral resources.
“Enforcement alone cannot address a problem whose roots also lie in poverty, unemployment and the absence of viable alternatives,” he said.

Kingsley said communities hosting mineral resources should have a defined stake in their exploitation, with emphasis on community development, employment, skills acquisition, infrastructure, environmental protection and transparent benefits.
He said artisanal and small-scale mining that could responsibly be formalised should provide miners with access to appropriate regulation, training, safer working conditions, technology, finance and legitimate markets.

“Criminal exploitation and activities that endanger communities must be addressed,” he added.
The presidential aspirant also expressed concern over reports that some of those who died were teenagers, describing illegal mining as a wider national development challenge.
“If children are leaving classrooms and entering dangerous mining sites because their families can no longer survive without their contribution, then the problem is much bigger than illegal mining. It is a national development crisis,” he said.

Kingsley said Nigeria could not secure its future by allowing children to exchange classrooms for mining pits and responding only after tragedies occurred.

He advocated a broader approach linking natural-resource governance with education, employment, community development, environmental protection and national security.
He also called for a shift from the extraction and export of raw materials towards domestic processing, manufacturing and technology-driven industries capable of creating jobs and retaining more value within the country.

The PRP aspirant, who is awaiting the November 2, 2026 judgment of the Federal High Court in the dispute over the party’s presidential primary, said the Minna tragedy should prompt a wider national conversation about the management of Nigeria’s natural resources and the economic conditions of host communities.

“The Minna tragedy should consequently compel the nation to look beyond the immediate headlines. We must confront the interconnected realities of hardship, unemployment, hazardous livelihoods, environmental degradation and the need to protect human dignity,” he said.
Kingsley said his policy framework proposed that communities where hydrocarbons and solid minerals are extracted should be recognised as stakeholders in the exploitation of the resources.
He said such communities should have clearly defined and measurable benefits covering development, employment, skills opportunities, infrastructure, environmental protection, transparency and grievance mechanisms.

He called for a speedy and transparent investigation into the Minna deaths, saying the victims should not become “another statistic” in a country already confronted by repeated reports of loss of lives.

“They were our children, brothers, husbands, fathers, friends and hopes for tomorrow. We mourn them. We console their families,” he said.

Kingsley prayed for the repose of the deceased, strength for their families and speedy recovery for survivors, while urging measures to ensure that citizens, particularly children, are protected from hazardous livelihoods and that security agencies uphold human dignity while enforcing the law.