Four additional bodies have been recovered from the collapsed mining pit in Galkogo, located in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. The mining site, managed by African Minerals and Logistics Limited, caved in on June 3, 2024, trapping numerous workers beneath the rubble.
The District Head of Galadima-Kogo, Mallam Umar Aliyu, confirmed the discovery of the bodies on Wednesday, over two months after the devastating incident. The recovered corpses have been taken to the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Specialist Hospital mortuary in Minna, the Niger State capital.
Aliyu disclosed that arrangements for the burial of the victims are already underway. “Yesterday (Wednesday), four more bodies were recovered from the mining pit that collapsed in my community,” he said. Two of the deceased, identified as Muslims, are scheduled to be buried on Friday at the palace of the Emir of Minna. The remaining two victims, who were Christians, will be transported to their hometowns in Nasarawa and Niger states at the request of their families.
With the latest recovery, the total number of bodies retrieved from the collapsed site now stands at 14. The community and affected families remain deeply shaken by the disaster. According to Aliyu, many of the victims’ families, particularly the widows, continue to struggle with the trauma of losing their loved ones.
“The community is helping the families, especially the wives and children. They are still living in shock that came with the incident. Also, the company manager gave each of the families N200,000,” Aliyu noted.
The loss of breadwinners has also taken a toll on the children of the deceased, many of whom have dropped out of school due to financial constraints. In response to the tragedy, the Niger State Government has formed a committee to oversee the distribution of N50 million as financial support to the families of the victims, hoping to ease their burden during this difficult time.
