Seven people have died in Sokoto and Niger state following food poisoning and the collapse of the artisanal mining site.
Tragedy struck on Sunday in Shagari local government area of Sokoto state when a family of five died after consuming a soup prepared with a local fertiliser popularly known as Gishirin lalle.
Confirming the incident, the State Commissioner for Health, Asabe Balarabe, said the tragedy occurred in Kaurar Wanke village when the victims consumed the soup prepared with the substance, mistaking it for seasoning.
According to her, three of the victims died on Friday, while the remaining two died in her presence at Specialist Hospital Sokoto on Sunday.
Also, the Chief Medical Director of Specialist Hospital Sokoto, Dr Attahiru Isah Sokoto, described the incident as the will of Allah and prayed to him to forgive the deceased for all their mistakes and give their families the courage to bear the irreparable loss.
Meanwhile, two siblings have been killed by an overburdened mass in an artisanal mining site in Kakaki village, Paikoro Local government area of Niger state.
It was gathered that the two brothers, Zubairu and Sadiq Ibrahim, went to a gold mining site in the village with a large deposit to meet a debt obligation.
It was learnt that Zubairu, 25, and Sadiq, 20, had been involved in artisanal gold mining for a long time at the banks of a tributary in the village until the unfortunate incident.
It was revealed by one of the villagers, Mohammad, who later discovered their bodies, that ” it looked like the mass of the overburden of the mining site fell on Zubairu first, and in the process of rescuing his brother, the debris of the remaining overburden fell on Sadiq too.”
The district head of Tutungo, Mallam Musa Abdullahi, confirmed that he was informed about the incident by Mallam Ayuba Ahmadu, the village head of Butu Kakaki village.
Also, the father of the deceased, two artisanal Miners, Mallam Zubairu Ibrahim, confirmed that his sons had left home without informing him, and he only became aware of their absence at night.
Consequently, he said members of the community went on a search for them but tragically discovered their bodies under the collapsed overburden Mass at the riverbank.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary of the Niger State Ministry of Mineral Resources, Alhaji Yunusa Mohammed Nahauni, confirmed that he had visited the village, adding that the ministry will Investigate the accident at the Kakaki Village’s Mining Site.
