Stampede Kills 3 At Niger Govt House

At least three people have died while several others were injured in a stampede at the Niger State Government House in Minna.

The injured victims are currently receiving treatment at the Minna General Hospital.

The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday night after youths linked to a planned protest over the recent deaths of 37 artisanal miners were invited to the Government House and allegedly asked to shelve the protest.

Among those who died were a woman identified as Dije and her daughter, Hurairat, both internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area.

Hurairat’s husband, Abubakar, a butcher, was reportedly killed by bandits in 2023 along the Allawa-Pandogari Road.

Following the attack and the subsequent evacuation of residents from Allawa, Hurairat relocated to Minna, where she lived as an IDP.

Dije, who was also staying with her husband as an IDP in Gurmana, had visited Hurairat when they reportedly heard that Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago would distribute money at the Government House.

The mother and daughter subsequently went to the venue.

Mallam Musa Allawa, an IDP, told Daily Trust that Dije and Hurairat would be buried at 10am on Wednesday.

Before the stampede, some sources, including government appointees, had posted on social media that youths gathered at the Government House to show solidarity with Governor Bago.

One of the appointees told Daily Trust that more people, including women, later arrived at the Government House after hearing that N10,000 would be distributed to those present.

When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Bologi Ibrahim, said the state government would issue a statement on the incident in due course.