Justice for Minna miners?
With the report turned in last week by the independent probe of the recent artisanal miners’ death in security custody, those dead miners and survivors are close to getting justice. It will be to added praise of government if it carries through with implementing the report submitted, marking a departure from the practice whereby administrations institute probes to signpost attention to an issue, only to abandon the reports of such probes on shelves to gather dust. Question is whether all issues central to the tragedy were addressed by the panel and will receive due redress. Government raised a 10-member independent probe panel in September, following the death of many suspected illegal miners in custody of the Niger State command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The miners had been arrested in operations by NSDC personnel at Miwishishi and Lukoto areas of the state over two days – 15th and 16th September – and were cramped into a detention facility at the C...