Atiku Donates N20m To Families Of 37 Miners Who Died In NSCDC Custody In Niger

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has donated N20 million to the families of the 37 miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Niger State.

Atiku announced the donation during a meeting with the families of the deceased miners, according to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.

The former Vice President also visited Minna, the Niger State capital, where he condoled with the Emir of Minna and Chairman of Minna Emirate Council, His Royal Highness, Alhaji (Dr.) Umar Farouk Bahago, and former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd).

Atiku, who described listening to one of the survivors as harrowing, said the tragedy is a painful reminder of the vulnerability of young Nigerians struggling to survive under severe economic pressure.

“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,” Atiku said.

“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.”

The ADC candidate said 37 young Nigerians entered state custody alive and did not return alive to their families, adding that the tragedy demands truth, justice and accountability.

“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.

Atiku said the incident should force the Tinubu administration to reflect on the human cost of economic policies that have put enormous pressure on households.

“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,” he stated.

He reiterated that if elected President, he would implement policies to reduce the cost of living, including a targeted production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria, rather than a return to open-ended subsidy on imported fuel.

“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.