Atiku Reacts to Niger Mining Deaths, Pledges Education Support for Child Miner

Atiku Reacts to Niger Mining Deaths, Pledges Education Support for Child Miner

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed concern over the plight of Yusuf Aliyu, a child featured in a video discussing the recent deaths of miners in Niger State.

Atiku said he was deeply moved by the child’s intelligence, confidence and clarity, arguing that Yusuf should be in school rather than struggling for survival in a gold-rich community affected by poverty.

He said he did not view the boy simply as an “illegal miner,” but as a Nigerian child whose circumstances reflected failures in education, economic opportunity and social protection.

Atiku also appealed for Yusuf’s safety, warning that the child’s public appearance and statements should not expose him or his family to intimidation or retaliation. He said he was prepared to support the boy’s education, stressing that any intervention should be carried out through his family and appropriate child-protection channels.

The former vice president questioned how communities with valuable mineral deposits could remain impoverished, asking why mineral wealth extracted from such areas had not translated into schools, jobs and improved living conditions for residents.

He criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu over its handling of artisanal mining, contrasting it with the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMI), established under former President Muhammadu Buhari to formalise and integrate artisanal miners into the economy.

Atiku alleged that the Tinubu administration had shifted from an approach focused on formalisation to one centred on raids, detention and criminalisation of artisanal miners.

He also called on the Federal Government to explain the status of PAGMI in Niger State and provide answers regarding the reported deaths of 37 miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

“The gold beneath their community should build classrooms and livelihoods, not graves,” Atiku said.