African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has donated N20 million to families affected by the deaths of 37 suspected artisanal miners in custody in Niger State.
Atiku made the donation during a visit to Minna, where he also met the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Farouk Bahago, former military president Ibrahim Babangida, survivors and relatives of those who died.
The former vice president said the incident raised urgent questions about conditions in state custody and the wider economic pressures pushing young Nigerians into risky informal occupations.
According to a statement by his media aide, Atiku said he heard a survivor describe severe overcrowding and desperate conditions in detention.
He said the deaths required an independent determination of what happened and called for truth, accountability and justice for the families.
Atiku also linked the tragedy to broader concerns over unemployment, poverty and the rising cost of living, arguing that economic policy should ultimately be judged by its impact on households and young people. The precise circumstances surrounding the deaths remain under official investigation, and responsibility has not yet been finally established
