“Our Silence Is Killing Us”: Prof. Usman Yusuf Slams Northern Leaders, Clerics, Media Over 37 Miners’ Deaths, Recurring Bombings

Former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme [NHIS], Prof. Usman Yusuf, has blamed the recurring deaths of civilians in Northern Nigeria on public silence and lack of outrage from political and religious leaders.

Yusuf spoke as a guest on Trust TV’s Inside the North, reacting to the death of 37 artisanal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps [NSCDC] in Niger State after their arrest over alleged illegal mining.

“Why is this happening repeatedly? Right. And it’s happening repeatedly because we allow it to happen, particularly in the North. There is no outrage,” Yusuf said.

“All you hear — where are the mosques? Shouldn’t we be hearing all of this in the mosque, in market places, in classes? We are doing our part in the studio, where is everybody else?”

He accused clerics and political leaders of prioritizing politics over pressing tragedies.

“All they are doing — the clerics are campaigning for this government to come back. The politicians are doing their nonsense, or Maulud. The governor is dancing. Where is everybody else? Where is the outrage? If the government does not see the outrage, all these agencies do not see the outrage, they continue doing this nonsense,” he said.

Yusuf linked the Niger incident to a pattern of unpunished civilian casualties, including accidental bombings of villages during Maulud celebrations.

“They go and blast villages, people performing Maulud. They drop a bomb, nothing happens, they do it again, and again, and again! And the Honorable Minister of Defense has the audacity to come and talk nonsense a few days ago,” he said.

“We allow all this nonsense to happen, that is why it is continuing to happen. And I am calling on all Nigerians, particularly us in the North, to rise up against this nonsense!”

The former NHIS boss also faulted the media for downplaying the deaths.

“Just before I came into the studio, I was looking at the news ticker on some of the news stations. This story did not make the first headline. What made the first headline was the President galavanting with Macron. Thirty-seven of our children died!” he said.

“Thirty-seven of our children died! What was their offense? They went to eke a living. Imagine! Many of them helped their families to feed. Whereas the big miners are out there in the forest, we know that, with their Chinese partners, dropping whatever in helicopters — nobody is after them!”

Yusuf recounted his encounter with young miners in custody while in detention.

“I was in Kuje prison, and I saw some of these little kids. I was in Kuje for three weeks, and I saw some of these little kids in Kuje. ‘Why are you here?’ ‘Oh, illegal mining.’ For goodness’ sake!” he said.

He said double standards in enforcement persist, where small-scale miners are jailed while large-scale illegal mining syndicates operate unchecked.

“The reason, fellow Nigerians, the reason this thing continues to happen again and again and again is our silence, particularly in the North! And we must not allow this nonsense to continue. People must be held accountable, for goodness’ sake!”

“Where are our clerics? Today is Friday. The first thing I got when I woke up was a thousand and one Friday greetings. Is that our priority? Shouldn’t we be outraged about all these things that are happening?”