IBB breaks silence on ownership of Niger gold mine where 37 detained miners died in NSCDC custody

Former military ruler General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has denied any connection to the gold-mining site in Niger State where 37 suspected illegal miners were arrested before dying in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, describing the allegation as “false, baseless and completely without foundation.”

The denial, issued through Babangida’s representative Dr Danladi Umar Abdulhameed, was a direct response to a SaharaReporters report in which a survivor, Malam Babawo Tudun Nasera, identified the former Head of State as the owner of the mining site and claimed Babangida had instructed the miners to continue working there despite official pressure to stop.

“General Babangida has no connection whatsoever with the mining operation in question,” Abdulhameed stated, demanding that “the false impression created by it be corrected.”

SaharaReporters had noted in its original report that the survivor’s claim could not be independently verified and that it remained unclear in what capacity Babangida was being referenced — whether as landowner, lease holder or in another role entirely.

The denial comes amid a deepening investigation into the deaths of at least 37 detainees. Survivors told SaharaReporters that 66 people were crammed into a small cell for three days in extreme heat, with some becoming so dehydrated they resorted to drinking their own urine.

Separately, Babangida condemned the deaths, expressing condolences to victims’ families and calling for a transparent investigation.