Obi’s Camp Tackles Alake Over 37 Deaths in Niger

* Says Solid Minerals minister should explain tragedy before attacking Obi

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja 

The Peter Obi Media Office has faulted the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, for engaging in political exchanges over Peter Obi’s record as Anambra State governor, while questions remain unanswered over the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.

The media office, in a statement issued on Monday by its spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr, described Alake’s comments on Obi’s administration in Anambra as a distraction from the tragedy in the solid minerals sector.

The statement followed remarks by Alake, who, while speaking in his capacity as a spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, said Obi had “nowhere to hide” over what he described as the former governor’s poor record in Anambra State. 

The Obi Media Office said the minister should instead concentrate on providing answers to questions surrounding the deaths of the 37 detainees, whose circumstances have triggered public outrage, protests and calls for an independent investigation.

Part of the statement read: “Instead of fixing the catastrophic failures in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, providing answers to these questions: Who authorised the operation? 

“What safeguards were in place? Who failed? And who will be held accountable? A minister overseeing a sector at the centre of such a tragic episode is busy trying to create a distraction.”

The deaths occurred after the suspects were arrested during operations against alleged illegal mining in Niger State on September 15 and 16. 

The Federal Government has suspended officials and constituted a 10-member committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths, while police authorities have also opened an investigation. 

The exact cause of death remains under investigation. Initial accounts attributed the deaths to a possible disease outbreak, while survivors and other stakeholders have alleged that overcrowding and poor ventilation contributed to suffocation. 

The Obi Media Office said the tragedy should compel the government to focus on accountability and reforms rather than political exchanges.

“For us in Peter Obi Media, there is a tragic irony in watching high-ranking public officials prioritise political posturing over executive accountability,” the office said.

It added that the deaths represented more than statistics, stressing that the victims were Nigerians who had died while in government custody after being arrested in connection with alleged illegal mining.

The statement urged the Federal Government to strengthen regulation of the mining industry and address illegal and unsafe mining operations.

“Ending unchecked illegal operations and curbing informal and unregulated extraction that endangers vulnerable youth seeking a livelihood is the minister’s responsibility,” it said.

The media office further argued that young Nigerians deserved a mining sector founded on safety, regulation and sustainable development, rather than one in which political arguments took precedence over questions of public accountability.

The statement also accused the APC administration of failing Nigerians across various sectors, but provided no specific evidence for the broader claim.

The renewed political exchange followed an attack by the APC Presidential Campaign Council on Obi over his record as Anambra governor, particularly allegations concerning the state’s debt position when he left office in 2014. 

The campaign council has urged Obi to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race. 

Alake, in his statement, relied on figures presented by the Anambra State Government concerning external borrowing and expenditure during Obi’s tenure. 

According to the figures cited by Alake, Obi’s administration contracted about $123.77 million in external loans, while subsequent administrations continued to service the obligations. 

The Obi Media Office, however, maintained that Alake should give priority to the solid minerals portfolio under his supervision.

It said the circumstances surrounding the Niger deaths demanded “sober reflection and immediate systemic reform”, insisting that accountability should be established through the ongoing investigations.

The office urged the government to end illegal mining, improve safety standards and protect young Nigerians involved in artisanal mining.

“Nigerian youths deserve a solid minerals sector built on safety, regulation and sustainable development and not an executive office that chases political shadows while tragedy unfolds on its watch,” it said.