Atiku Offers Education Support to Viral Niger Teen Miner, Calls for His Safety

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has offered to support the education of Yusuf Aliyu, a teenage artisanal miner in Niger State whose video has gone viral following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in NSCDC custody.

In a statement shared on his X account on Sunday, September 20, Atiku said he had repeatedly watched a video of the teenager speaking at a gold-mining site and was deeply moved by his intelligence, confidence and circumstances.

Atiku said a child with such potential should be in school rather than working at a mining site to support his family.

“I cannot look at him and see an ‘illegal miner.’ I see a Nigerian child failed by the country that should have protected him,” Atiku said.

He said he was prepared to support Yusuf's education and ensure that the teenager's potential was not lost to poverty.

Atiku also appealed for Yusuf's safety, warning that the attention generated by his viral video should not expose him or his family to intimidation or retaliation.

He urged anyone seeking to contact or assist the teenager to do so through his family and appropriate child-protection channels.

Yusuf, who spoke to News Central Television in a video that has circulated widely online, alleged that NSCDC personnel had shot at miners at a gold-mining site in Niger State. He also disputed the corps' initial explanation that the deaths of detainees were linked to a suspected disease outbreak.

The deaths occurred after suspected illegal miners were arrested during NSCDC operations around the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16. The NSCDC initially said a suspected disease outbreak was responsible, while survivors and families raised allegations involving overcrowding, poor ventilation and other conditions in detention. The actual cause of the deaths remains under investigation.

The Federal Government has ordered an investigation into the incident and suspended NSCDC personnel in connection with the deaths. By September 20, the NSCDC said 24 personnel, including the suspended Niger State commandant, were in custody as part of the investigation.

Atiku used Yusuf's story to raise broader questions about poverty, education and the management of Nigeria's mineral resources.

He also criticised the Federal Government's approach to artisanal mining, contrasting it with the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMI) established under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Atiku argued that the government should focus on formalising and supporting vulnerable artisanal miners rather than relying primarily on enforcement.