Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has called for an executive order from the Presidency or the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development to ban mining activities in locations identified as problematic across the state, following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Bago made the call during an interview on Channels Television, where he also addressed the wider crisis of child miners abandoning classrooms for artisanal gold mining sites across the state. He noted that the state government needed stronger intervention from the Federal Government because of the limitations surrounding the enforcement of mining regulations, warning that a UNICEF report had projected that by 2027 there would not be a single child in Grade 7, that is, JSS1, because all of them are into artisanal mining and have left the classroom.

Asked what concrete steps his administration was taking to address the presence of minors at mining sites and the disturbing images emerging from these locations, the Governor explained the constraints of his office in the following words: “I am in between the devil and the Red Sea because, as a governor, yes, it’s in my state. As a governor, I cannot just go and order the police or military to start shooting people or arresting people. As a governor, I can only make advocacy. But these people, because they have tasted the mining money, cannot leave that side. 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.”

The Governor stressed that children involved in mining are protected under the Child Rights Act and ought to be in school, placing blame on parents who take their children to mining sites instead of classrooms. He lamented the scale of energy young people expend in mining, arguing that if that same energy were channelled into farming, affected communities would be far better off, noting that some local government areas in the state were once among the most agrarian before residents abandoned farming for mining, describing the shift as “a menace.”

Pressed on whether his government would take a tougher stance against parents who fail to enrol their children in school, Bago responded cautiously, describing such a commitment as “a very tall order,” given that Niger State accounts for about ten percent of Nigeria’s total landmass and is rich in mineral resources scattered across the entire state. He further disclosed that Niger State holds the largest sequestration of forests and trees in West Africa, revealing that beyond gold mining, illegal logging, charcoal production, and the poaching of animals for their horns and hooves are also rampant across the state, all contributing to insecurity.

The Governor went on to reveal that expatriates from other countries are directly funding and operating illegal mining activities in the state, noting that the military, the DSS, and the police are all aware of the situation but remain constrained because of the involvement of these foreign nationals, whom he said enjoy certain protections that limit enforcement. He explained that proceeds of the illicit trade move out of the country through Nigeria’s ports and ships, stressing that responsibility for tackling the crisis extends far beyond the office of a state governor, whom he described as “just chief security of the state by mouth,” adding that he could not take an oath for what he could not control.

On the deaths of the 37 detainees, Bago said the state government had not been informed of any arrests arising from the incident and that it had limited control over detention facilities, stating that the DSS and police were investigating. Describing what he saw after the deaths, he said he saw a lot of corpses on the floor, adding that some of the victims were not miners. He also said the location where the suspected miners were arrested was not licensed for mining, explaining that it was actually a housing estate.

The 37 detainees died on Thursday, September 17, after they were arrested during anti-illegal mining operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16. Bago had earlier disclosed that 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners were detained at an NSCDC facility before 37 of them died, with the exact cause of death still under investigation.

The governor’s comments came as the NSCDC paraded its suspended Niger State Commandant, Commandant Suberu Aniviye, and other officers linked to the deaths at the Corps’ National Headquarters in Sauka, Abuja, where the Corps’ National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commandant Babawale Afolabi, briefed journalists on preliminary findings. The Federal Government has suspended the Commandant and 20 other officers pending an independent investigation, while Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has constituted a 10-member independent committee, given two weeks, to investigate the identities of the deceased, their arrest and detention, and the cause and circumstances of their deaths.

The investigation followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive, transparent and unhindered probe into the incident. The NSCDC had initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, but said medical examinations would determine the actual cause, as concerns grow over the conditions in which detainees were held. The incident has also sparked protests in Minna, leading authorities to impose a curfew following clashes between protesters and security personnel. Bago said his administration would continue to pursue answers over the incident and the wider problem of illegal mining in the state.