Former Nigerian military ruler, retired General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, has firmly denied any association with the gold-mining site in Niger State where 37 individuals accused of illegal mining were arrested and subsequently died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Babangida, through his representative, Dr Danladi Umar Abdulhameed, also described as the Tambarin Kagara, was responding to a SaharaReporters report in which a survivor identified the former military ruler as the owner of the mining site.
In a statement issued in response to the report, Abdulhameed said the allegation was “false, baseless and completely without foundation.”
“My attention has been drawn to a publication on your platform alleging that the mining site where illegal miners were arrested belongs to General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, GCFR,” the statement said.
“This allegation is false, baseless and completely without foundation.”
Some media outlets (not Veracity Desk) had reported that a survivor, Malam Babawo Tudun Nasera, identified Babangida as the owner of the gold-mining site where the miners were arrested.
In a video seen on social media, Nasera was asked who owned the mining site after he said authorities wanted the miners to stop working there despite an alleged instruction from the owner that they should continue.
“It belongs to Babangida,” Nasera said.
When asked which Babangida he meant, the survivor confirmed that he was referring to the former military Head of State.
Asked whether Babangida had told the miners to continue working at the site, Nasera replied: “Yes, he said we should continue working.”
SaharaReporters, however, stated in the report that the claim could not independently be verified from the information available at the time.
It also noted that it was unclear whether Babangida personally owned the mining operation, held a mining lease over the site, owned the land on which the operation was located, or was being referred to by the survivor in another capacity.
Abdulhameed said Babangida had no connection with the mining operation and demanded that what he described as the false impression created by the report be corrected.
“We categorically reject the publication and demand that the false impression created by it be corrected. General Babangida has no connection whatsoever with the mining operation in question,” he said.
He urged members of the public to disregard the report and the allegation contained in it.
“We urge members of the public to disregard the report and the unfounded allegation contained in it,” he said.
The statement, however, acknowledged SaharaReporters’ role in investigative journalism while urging the publication to ensure proper verification of allegations.
The denial comes amid an investigation into the deaths of at least 37 suspected illegal miners following their arrest and detention by NSCDC officers in Niger State.
Survivors previously said that the detainees were held for three days and subjected to extreme heat and overcrowding inside a small cell.
One survivor, Dauda Shehu, said 66 people were detained together and that detainees repeatedly pleaded with NSCDC officers to open the cell.
He alleged that some detainees became so dehydrated that they resorted to drinking their own urine.
Meanwhile, Babangida had earlier condemned the deaths and called for a comprehensive investigation into the incident
Through Abdulhameed, he described the deaths as tragic and deeply disturbing, expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and commended the Niger State Government for constituting a committee of inquiry.
He also welcomed the decision to conduct medical and forensic examinations to establish the circumstances and actual causes of the deaths.
Babangida urged residents, particularly youths and families of the deceased, to remain calm and allow the investigations to take their course.
He also called on all parties to avoid actions that could escalate tensions or disrupt peace and security in Niger State, while expressing hope that the investigation would be conducted transparently and provide answers to the affected families.
