A 17-year-old girl named Zainab has returned to a mining site in Niger State, despite the recent deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Zainab, who was found at the mining site with two of her teenage sisters, told SaharaReporters that mining was her means of survival and how she helped provide food for her aged parents. She said the fear of arrest or death could not stop her from returning because she had no other means of livelihood.
According to Zainab, security agents have continued to chase miners away from the site. She stated that police officers arrived shortly before SaharaReporters got there, forcing her and other miners to run into hiding. Zainab expressed her fearlessness, saying that the highest thing they would do is kill her, which they had done to some of her colleagues. She added that even before the arrival of SaharaReporters, the police came chasing them, and they ran into hiding.
Zainab explained that she returns to the mining site because hunger and poverty are greater fears for her than arrest. She said that this is what she uses to feed her aged parents and take care of herself. If she doesn’t come to the site, she wonders who will feed them or take care of them. Zainab understands the risks associated with mining but insists that people like her are pushed into the trade because they have few opportunities to earn a living.
The teenager stated that the recent deaths had frightened many miners but had not eliminated the economic problems that brought them to the site. She said that people are afraid, but hunger is also there. The people who died had families and were looking for what to eat, just like her. Zainab and her sisters returned to the mining site almost immediately after hearing about the deaths of the 37 miners.
Zainab said she was not returning because she considered the work safe, but because she had become accustomed to living with the risks associated with poverty. She said that she’s not afraid of anything because she can only die once. If she stays at home, there is no food, and if she comes to the site, there is danger. Zainab’s story highlights the difficult choices confronting poor residents who depend on artisanal and often unregulated mining for survival.
The deaths of the 37 miners triggered public concern, particularly over reports that some of those arrested were teenagers. Authorities have launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the deaths, while the Federal Government suspended the NSCDC commandant in the state and constituted an investigative committee. Zainab’s return to the mining site underscores the human cost of poverty and the challenges facing government efforts to eradicate illegal mining.
Zainab said what she wants most is an opportunity to earn a living without having to risk her life at a mining site. She said that if they don’t want them to mine, they should give them another way to survive. Zainab and her sisters are ready to work and are young, but they need an alternative means of livelihood. Her story highlights the need for the government to provide economic alternatives to families who depend on mining for survival.
Key points
- A 17-year-old girl returns to a Niger State mining site days after 37 suspected illegal miners died in NSCDC custody.
- Zainab cites poverty as her reason for returning to the mining site, saying she has no other means of livelihood.
- The incident highlights the challenges facing government efforts to eradicate illegal mining in communities where it has become a means of survival.
