Tragedy struck in Kakaki village, Paikoro Local Government Area of Niger State, as two siblings, Zubairu Ibrahim, 20, and Sadiq Ibrahim, 25, lost their lives in a mine collapse on Saturday. The brothers, who had left home without informing their parents, were found buried beneath the collapsed soil at a local mining site where they had gone to dig for solid minerals.
The incident comes just months after a similar mine collapse in Shiroro, Niger State, claimed the lives of several miners. According to village sources, the siblings were reported missing when they failed to return home for dinner and evening prayers. Their father, Zubairu Ibrahim, initially assumed they were out with friends until he learned that they had gone to the mining site.
Devastated by the loss, Ibrahim sent community members to search for his sons, only to receive the heartbreaking news that they had perished in the collapse. The tragic discovery has plunged the family and community into mourning.
During a visit to the village, officials from the Niger State Ministry of Mineral Resources, led by Permanent Secretary Yunusa Nahauni, expressed their condolences and emphasized that the deaths were preventable. Nahauni reminded the community that the governor’s order suspending mining activities in the state remains in force and warned that those caught engaging in illegal mining would face legal consequences.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. This tragedy could have been avoided if the community had adhered to the governor’s directive suspending mining in the state. The ministry will continue its efforts to crack down on illegal mining operations,” Nahauni stated.
The government team’s visit, however, was met with hostility from villagers, who believed the officials were there to extort money. The situation escalated after it was revealed that a previous visit by personnel from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps allegedly resulted in the extortion of N25,000 from the grieving family under the pretext of fueling their vehicle.
