‘We have to survive’ — 17-year-old returns to Niger mining site days after 37 deaths

A 17-year-old girl identified as Zainab has returned to a mining site in Niger State, days after 37 suspected illegal miners died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC.

Zainab said poverty and the need to support her aged parents had forced her back to the site despite the risks of arrest, injury or death.

The teenager was found at the mining location alongside two of her sisters. She said mining remained her only source of income and that staying away from the site would leave her family without food.

Zainab said security personnel had continued to drive miners away from the area. She added that police officers arrived shortly before journalists reached the community, forcing her and other miners to hide.

She said the recent deaths had increased fear among miners but had not changed the economic realities that pushed them into the trade.

“I know the risks, but I have no other way to survive,” she said. “If I stay at home, there is no food. If I come here, there is danger. What should I do?”

According to her, the income from mining helps her provide food and other necessities for her parents.

She said the possibility of arrest or death was not enough to keep her away from the site because hunger remained an immediate concern.

“We heard about the deaths, but we still came because there is nothing else for us to do,” she said.

Zainab also said she and her sisters returned to the mining area shortly after learning about the deaths of the 37 miners.

Explaining why her two teenage sisters were also at the site, Zainab said the family had no reliable source of financial support.

“They are my sisters, and we came together because we have to survive together,” she said.

“We do not have anyone giving us money. We have to find something to do.”

She acknowledged that mining was dangerous and that security agencies could arrest those operating at the site. However, she said poverty had left many residents with limited alternatives.

“People are afraid after what happened, but hunger is also there,” she said. “The people who died had families and were looking for what to eat. We are also looking for what to eat.”

The 37 suspected illegal miners died following enforcement operations in mining communities around the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State.

The deaths have raised concerns over the treatment of those arrested, particularly reports that some of the victims were teenagers.

Authorities have since begun investigations into the circumstances surrounding the deaths. The Federal Government also suspended the NSCDC commandant in Niger State and set up a committee to investigate the incident.

However, residents who rely on artisanal mining for income continue to face economic pressure despite the ongoing enforcement against illegal mining.

For Zainab, the choice remains between staying away from the mining site without a dependable source of income or returning despite the dangers.

“I do not want to die. Nobody wants to die,” she said. “But I cannot sit down and watch my parents suffer from hunger.”

She appealed for alternative employment opportunities for young people who depend on mining to survive.

“If they do not want us to mine, they should give us another way to survive,”.

“We are young and ready to work. But where is the work?” She said