Photo: Dele Alake
By Mandy Park
The Peter Obi Media Office has criticised the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, over his recent comments on the record of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, saying the minister should concentrate on providing answers to questions surrounding the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in government custody.
The media office, in a statement signed by its spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr., on Monday, described Alake’s criticism of Obi as a political distraction coming at a time when the Federal Government is investigating the deaths of the 37 suspects in Niger State.
The statement followed comments attributed to Alake, who, while speaking in his capacity as a spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign, reportedly said Obi had “nowhere to hide” over what he described as the former governor’s poor record in Anambra State.
But Obi’s media office accused the minister of diverting attention from the crisis in the solid minerals sector.
According to the statement, “There is a tragic irony in watching high-ranking public officials prioritise political posturing over executive accountability.”
The office questioned the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the 37 suspected illegal miners, demanding answers on who authorised the enforcement operation, the safeguards put in place and who should be held responsible if negligence or misconduct is established.
The controversy comes amid investigations into the deaths of the suspects, who were arrested during enforcement operations against illegal mining in Niger State on September 15 and 16.
The Niger State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps said the arrests followed operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas. The detainees were subsequently found dead at an NSCDC facility, with the corps initially referring to a suspected disease outbreak as the cause. The precise circumstances and cause of the deaths remain subject to investigation.
Following the incident, Alake directed a high-powered team of officials from his ministry to Niger State to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths and establish the facts.
The Federal Government has also deployed mining and technical experts to assist with the investigation, while the Niger State Government, NSCDC, Nigeria Police Force and other relevant agencies are conducting inquiries.
The development has generated demands for greater accountability. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar,
in a separate statement, called for an independent investigation into the deaths and questioned how 37 people who were taken into government custody alive ended up dead.
Civil society organisations and other stakeholders have similarly called for a thorough investigation into the incident, with human rights lawyer Femi Falana among those reported to have demanded justice for the victims.
However, the Obi media office maintained that Alake should first address the crisis within the sector under his supervision before engaging in political attacks against the former Anambra governor.
It said the deaths were not merely statistics but involved human beings, many of whom were young Nigerians seeking livelihoods.
The statement said, “Before offering public lectures on state-level administrative histories or political credentials, federal custodians of failed essential sectors must first account for their primary responsibilities.”
It specifically called for stronger measures against illegal and unsafe mining activities, arguing that Nigerians operating in the sector deserved adequate regulation and protection.
“Ending unchecked illegal operations and curbing informal and unregulated extraction that endangers vulnerable youth seeking a livelihood is the Minister’s responsibility,” the statement said.
The Obi media office further accused the APC administration of failing Nigerians across sectors, while urging the government to focus on safety, regulation and sustainable development in the solid minerals industry.
It also criticised what it described as the use of political rhetoric to divert public attention from questions of executive responsibility.
The latest controversy comes against the backdrop of wider scrutiny of Nigeria’s mining sector. Earlier in February, another mining tragedy in Zurak, Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State, claimed 37 lives after suspected toxic gas exposure at a mining site, prompting the Federal Government to close the site and launch an investigation.
The Federal Government subsequently inaugurated an 18-member committee to investigate the Plateau incident and determine its causes.
While the causes and individual responsibility for the more recent Niger State deaths are yet to be conclusively established, the Obi media office said the incident underscored the need for transparency and accountability in the enforcement of mining regulations.
The office urged the government to publish the findings of the investigation and ensure that anyone found culpable is held accountable.
It also maintained that political disagreements should not overshadow the government’s obligation to protect the lives of Nigerians under its authority.
