Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has offered to support the education of Yusuf Aliyu, a teenage artisanal miner whose video from a mining site in Niger State went viral following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in NSCDC custody.
Atiku, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, said on Sunday that he had repeatedly watched the video of the teenager speaking at the mining site and was concerned that a child with his level of confidence and intelligence was working at a mining site rather than attending school.
“I have watched Yusuf Aliyu’s video repeatedly, and each time, my heart breaks. A child with such intelligence, clarity and confidence should be in a classroom building his future—not struggling for survival in a community surrounded by gold but buried in poverty,” Atiku said in a statement posted on his X handle.
He said he did not view Aliyu simply as an “illegal miner”, describing him instead as a Nigerian child whose circumstances reflected poverty and a lack of opportunities.
“I cannot look at him and see an ‘illegal miner.’ I see a Nigerian child failed by the country that should have protected him. I see brilliance trapped by poverty and enormous promise abandoned by leadership,” he said.
Atiku also appealed for the teenager’s safety, warning that his public comments should not expose him or his family to intimidation or retaliation.
“I appeal specifically for his safety. His courage must not expose him or his family to intimidation or retaliation. I am prepared to support his education and ensure that the brilliance we have witnessed is not buried by poverty,” he said.
He added that any attempt to reach the teenager should be handled through his family and appropriate child-protection channels.
Aliyu, who spoke to News Central Television in the video circulating online, alleged that personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps had been shooting at miners at a gold-mining site in Niger State.
He also disputed an initial explanation from the NSCDC that the deaths of suspected illegal miners in its custody were linked to a disease outbreak. The circumstances and cause of the deaths remain subject to investigation.
The teenager said young people working at the site were helping to support their families and pay their school fees.
The deaths of the 37 detainees have prompted investigations by both state and federal authorities. The Federal Government has constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths, while 21 NSCDC officers have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
