Two Siblings Die in Niger State Mine Collapse

 

Tragedy struck in Kakaki village, Paikoro Local Government Area of Niger State, as two siblings lost their lives following the collapse of a mine where they were reportedly working.

The incident, which occurred on Saturday, claimed the lives of Zubairu Ibrahim, 20, and Sadiq Ibrahim, 25, in a devastating turn of events that has left the community in mourning.

The brothers, who had not informed their parents of their plans, left home on the fateful day to join others in search of solid minerals at the mine site.

Their absence was first noticed when they did not return for dinner and evening prayers. Initially, their father, Zubairu Ibrahim, believed they were with friends, but later learned that they had gone to the mining site to dig for gold.

A frantic search was initiated by community members, led by their distraught father.

Hours later, the search party discovered the lifeless bodies of the siblings buried under the collapsed soil at the mine site. The loss has thrown the family and the entire village into deep sorrow.

This incident comes months after a similar tragedy occurred in Shiroro, Niger State, where several miners also lost their lives in a mine collapse. The recurrence of such incidents has raised concerns over the safety of informal mining activities in the region.

The Ministry of Mines and Solid Mineral Resources, through its spokesperson, Mrs. Maureen Dibie, confirmed the incident on Tuesday.

In a statement, Dibie revealed that a delegation from the ministry, led by the Permanent Secretary, Yunusa Nahauni, visited the bereaved family on Sunday to offer condolences and conduct a fact-finding mission.

The team included directors from the ministry, representatives from the Miners Association, and the Caretaker Chairman of the State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Mines Workers.

During the visit, the father of the deceased expressed his profound grief over the loss of his two sons, lamenting the harsh reality of life after their untimely death.

Speaking on behalf of the ministry, Nahauni expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, stressing that the incident could have been avoided if the community had adhered to the Governor’s directive, which had suspended all mining activities in the state. He reiterated the need for strict compliance with safety regulations to prevent such occurrences in the future.