Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday visited Minna, Niger State, where he condoled with the Emir of Minna, Alhaji (Dr.) Umar Farouk Bahago, visited former military president Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and met families and survivors of the recent deaths of 37 suspected artisanal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

During his meeting with the affected families, Atiku announced a donation of ₦20 million to support those who lost loved ones in the incident.

He said Nigeria could not secure its future without deliberately investing in young people, expanding opportunities for them and enabling them to pursue legitimate and productive livelihoods.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the deaths as a painful reminder of the vulnerability of young Nigerians struggling to survive amid economic pressures.

Atiku said he was particularly disturbed by the account given by one of the survivors.
“It was a gory tale listening to one of the survivors. He told us that more than 68 of them were crammed into one small detention facility and that conditions became so desperate that they had to drink one another’s urine just to stay hydrated.

“No Nigerian should ever be subjected to such indignity in the custody of his own government. These were human beings in the care of the state. Whatever accusations may have been made against them, they were entitled to their lives, their dignity and the protection of the law.”

Atiku said the fact that many young Nigerians were being driven into hazardous and poorly regulated occupations should compel the government to confront the underlying issues of poverty, unemployment and the cost-of-living crisis.

“Thirty-seven young Nigerians entered the custody of the state alive and did not return alive to their families. That tragedy demands truth, justice and accountability.

“But beyond establishing what happened in that detention facility, we must also ask why so many of our young people are being pushed into dangerous and precarious livelihoods simply to survive.”

He said the deaths should prompt the President Bola Tinubu administration to reflect on what he described as the human consequences of economic policies that had placed pressure on households and reduced opportunities for millions of young Nigerians.

“When families can no longer afford the basics and young people are forced to take extraordinary risks just to earn a living, government cannot pretend that everything is working.

“Economic reform must ultimately be measured by what it does to the lives of ordinary people. If life becomes progressively more difficult for families, workers and young people, then government has a responsibility to reconsider the choices producing those outcomes.”

The former vice president also reiterated his commitment to policies aimed at reducing the cost of living if elected president, including a targeted production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria.

He said the proposal would differ from what he described as an open-ended subsidy on imported fuel, adding that it would be designed to support domestic refining, reduce waste and ensure that government support translates into lower prices for consumers.

“My promise to make life affordable again is not a political slogan. It is a solemn covenant with the Nigerian people.

“We will support what Nigeria produces. We will support fuel refined in Nigeria, create Nigerian jobs and insist that every naira of government support delivers a measurable benefit to the consumer.

“The purpose of government is not merely to announce reforms. The purpose of government is to make life better for the people.”

Atiku said Nigerian youths deserved access to quality education, skills, jobs and opportunities that would enable them to fulfil their potential rather than be driven into dangerous and uncertain livelihoods.