My Children Left Home For Mining Site, My Wife Went Searching And Was Told They Were Dead -Musa Aliyu

Musa Aliyu, a 50-year-old father in Niger State, has recounted how his family discovered the deaths of his two sons after they were detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Aliyu shared the account during an interview with Trust TV on Sunday, September 20, 2026, while speaking about the circumstances surrounding the deaths of his children.

According to him, his sons, 17-year-old Ibrahim and 12-year-old Abubakar, left home for a mining site but failed to return. Their disappearance prompted the family to begin searching for them.

Aliyu said his wife initially went looking for the boys and later visited a Civil Defence office to obtain information about their whereabouts. He said the family was informed there that the two children had died.

He explained that the family subsequently went to the General Hospital, where they confirmed that the boys were among those who had died.

“My children left home peacefully for the mining site but did not return. My wife went searching for them but was told at the Civil Defence office that our children were dead. It was at the general hospital that we confirmed their death,” he said.

The deaths occurred after NSCDC personnel conducted operations against suspected illegal mining activities in parts of Niger State on September 15 and 16. The operations reportedly led to the arrest of scores of people suspected of involvement in illegal mining.

The NSCDC later confirmed that some detainees died while in custody. The Corps attributed the deaths to what it described as a suspected disease outbreak among the detainees.

The bodies of those who died were reportedly deposited at the General Hospital in Minna for medical examination as authorities worked to establish the circumstances surrounding the fatalities.

Aliyu’s account has drawn further attention to the incident, particularly the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the two children after they were taken into custody.

The incident has also raised questions about the treatment of people detained during operations against illegal mining and the circumstances surrounding the reported illness among detainees.

The deaths remain subject to official investigations and medical examinations, while accounts from relatives and authorities provide different perspectives on what happened.