Two brothers who have been identified as Zubairu Ibrahim and Sadiq Ibrahim, have passed on during the weekend after a mine collapsed in Kakaki village in the Paikoro local government area of Niger State.
The tragic incident is coming after three previous mine collapses had occurred in the Shiroro and Paikoro areas of the state in recent months.
The deceased brothers, aged 20 and 25, had reportedly left home without informing their parents that they were heading to the mine to dig for solid minerals.
What They’re Saying
The father of the deceased brothers, Mallam Zubairu Ibrahim had recounted how the family initially assumed the young men were out with friends but when time passed and they were still to return, the family asked around and learned that the brothers had gone to the mine site, hoping to find gold or other valuable minerals.
He also narrated how he sent community members to search for his sons, and tragically, their bodies were found buried beneath the collapsed soil at the riverbank.
While speaking with officials from the state Ministry of Mineral Resources who paid a condolence and investigatory visit to the village, Ibrahim bemoaned his fate after burying two sons in one day.
The team from the Ministry of Mineral Resources had been led by the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Yunusa Mohammed Nahauni and directors, the Miners Association State Chapter Caretaker Chairman, and the Nigeria Union of Mines Workers.
The Permanent Secretary had also said that the death was avoidable if the community had obeyed the Governor’s order halting mining in the state.
He further warned that anyone found violating the regulations would face legal consequences.
