The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has mourned the 37 artisanal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State, demanding a transparent investigation and urgent measures to tackle child labour, poverty and unemployment.
The NLC, in a statement issued on Monday by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, noted the victims died on Thursday, September 17, after being arrested during operations against suspected illegal mining activities in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state on September 15 and 16.
The Congress expressed concern that many of the deceased were young people, including minors, while noting that the circumstances surrounding their deaths remain under investigation.
It said the Federal Government’s constitution of an independent committee to establish the identities of the deceased, the circumstances of their arrest and detention, and the cause of death was a step in the right direction.
The NLC, however, called for a thorough, transparent and independent investigation, with the findings made public.
It also demanded that anyone found culpable of unlawful treatment, abuse, negligence or any other conduct that contributed to the deaths should face the full weight of the law.
While welcoming the suspension of officers allegedly connected with the incident, the labour centre stressed that suspension should not be allowed to substitute for accountability and justice.
Beyond the immediate circumstances of the deaths, the NLC said the tragedy highlighted deeper socioeconomic problems driving illegal mining and child labour, particularly poverty, unemployment, deprivation and the lack of decent livelihood opportunities.
According to the Congress, many of those involved in artisanal mining come from poor rural and working-class families whose livelihoods depend heavily on the informal economy.
It said families whose incomes could not adequately provide food, education, healthcare and other basic necessities were often compelled to seek survival in hazardous and vulnerable forms of employment.
“These were children and young people from working-class and peasant families,” the NLC said, stressing that the national response to illegal mining must take into account the socioeconomic conditions that push vulnerable families into such activities.
The Congress called for stronger regulation of artisanal and small-scale mining, including enforcement of occupational safety and health standards, fundamental principles and rights at work, as well as the prohibition of hazardous child labour.
It also demanded a comprehensive programme to remove children from hazardous mining activities and provide them with access to quality education, skills development, social protection and alternative livelihood opportunities for their families.
The NLC further called for the involvement of trade unions, employers’ organisations, community representatives and civil society groups in the formulation and implementation of policies governing the artisanal mining sector.
It urged the government to develop a coordinated national strategy to address rural poverty, youth unemployment, lack of decent work and the exclusion of informal workers from adequate social protection.
The NLC .said the Niger mining deaths should be viewed within the broader challenges confronting Nigeria’s labour market, including inequality, poverty wages, unemployment, underemployment, precarious work and the expansion of vulnerable informal employment.
“We cannot continue to address the symptoms of these problems while ignoring their underlying causes,” the NLC said.
