Obi Counters Dele Alake, Raises Questions Over 37 Mining Deaths

The Peter Obi Media Office has criticised the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, for attacking the record of former Anambra State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, while calling for answers over the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in Niger State.

Alake, who is also spokesman of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, had accused Obi of having “nowhere to hide” over his alleged record in Anambra State, following fresh claims by the state government concerning financial liabilities incurred during Obi’s administration.

In a statement signed by its spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr, and issued on Monday, the Peter Obi Media Office described Alake's intervention as a political distraction from the crisis in the solid minerals sector.

The statement questioned the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who were arrested during an anti-illegal mining operation in Niger State and subsequently died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The Federal Government has already deployed a high-powered investigative team to Niger State to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Alake had said the team would investigate the incident and ascertain the facts.

The Obi media office, however, asked: “Who authorised the operation? What safeguards were in place? Who failed? And who will be held accountable?”

It argued that the deaths required attention to safety, regulation and accountability in the mining sector rather than political exchanges over the records of a former state governor.

“For us in Peter Obi Media, there is a tragic irony in watching high-ranking public officials prioritise political posturing over executive accountability,” the statement said.

The office accused Alake of being more interested in “political distractions” than addressing what it described as failures in the solid minerals sector.

It also called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts to end illegal and unregulated mining activities, particularly those exposing young Nigerians to dangerous working conditions.

The statement said: “Nigerian youths deserve a solid minerals sector built on safety, regulation, and sustainable development—not an executive office that chases political shadows while tragedy unfolds on its watch.”

The circumstances and cause of the 37 deaths remain under investigation. Reports have cited a suspected disease outbreak, while Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has said investigators must determine the cause, noting that some bodies reportedly showed signs that could point to poisoning or suffocation.

The Obi Media Office further criticised the APC administration over what it described as failures across sectors, while maintaining that federal officials should first account for their responsibilities before engaging in attacks over state-level governance records.