*Sen.Mohammed Sani Musa.
Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, representing Niger East Senatorial District, has announced a support package for survivors and families of the 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
Under the intervention, survivors of the incident will receive scholarships and a cash grant of N500,000 each, while the families of each of the 37 deceased victims will receive N1 million.
The senator also announced the provision of relief materials to affected families as part of measures to cushion the impact of the tragedy.
The intervention comes amid continuing public concern over the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the miners, who were arrested during NSCDC operations against suspected illegal mining activities in Minna on September 15 and 16.
The 37 detainees were found dead on September 17 while in NSCDC custody. The Corps initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, while the circumstances and actual cause of death remain subject to investigation.
The Federal Government has since suspended the Niger State NSCDC Commandant and other officers connected with the incident and constituted an independent committee to investigate the arrests, detention conditions, identities of the deceased and the circumstances and causes of the deaths.
The International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has identified the 37 deceased and said the list was compiled from records at the General Hospital, Minna, with four additional names supplied by relatives of victims whose names were initially missing from the hospital records.
Announcing the intervention, Senator Sani Musa said the support was intended to provide immediate assistance to the affected families and help survivors rebuild their lives following the incident.
The scholarship component, according to the senator, is aimed at ensuring that the tragedy does not permanently disrupt the education and future prospects of surviving dependants.
The N500,000 cash support for each survivor, alongside scholarships and relief materials, is expected to provide immediate assistance to those who survived the incident, while the N1 million assistance to each of the 37 families is intended to help families cope with the loss of their loved ones.
The senator’s intervention adds to growing calls for support for the affected families as government authorities continue efforts to establish exactly what happened to the detainees.
The deaths have generated widespread concern in Niger State, with the identities of all 37 victims now publicly documented. The outcome of the independent investigation is expected to determine the circumstances surrounding their deaths and establish responsibility where applicable.
