Minna — At least three people have died while several others sustained injuries following a stampede at the Niger State Government House in Minna, after a large crowd reportedly gathered amid information that ₦10,000 would be distributed to people at the venue.
The incident occurred on Tuesday night as youths linked to a planned protest over the recent deaths of 37 suspected artisanal miners in NSCDC custody were reportedly invited to the Government House in an effort to persuade them to suspend the protest.
The situation reportedly escalated after information circulated that Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago would distribute ₦10,000 to those gathered. Sources said the rumour attracted additional crowds, including women, resulting in a surge that eventually developed into a stampede.
Among those confirmed dead were Dije and her daughter, Hurairat, both internally displaced persons from Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area. Reports said the mother and daughter had gone to the Government House after hearing that money would be distributed.
Several injured victims were reportedly taken to Minna General Hospital for medical attention.
Reports also said some government appointees had earlier posted on social media that youths at the Government House were gathered to show solidarity with Governor Bago. The crowd reportedly grew after word spread about the proposed cash distribution.
The Niger State Government had not issued a detailed official account of the incident at the time of reporting. The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, said the government would issue a statement, while Niger State Police spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun said he would verify the incident.
The tragedy comes barely two weeks after the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in NSCDC custody in Minna, a case that has attracted national attention. The Federal Government has constituted a 10-member independent investigative committee to establish the circumstances surrounding those deaths and determine responsibility where necessary.
The latest reports do not confirm claims that nine children died or that victims bit themselves to death. Those details remain unverified and should not be presented as established facts until supported by official or credible eyewitness evidence.
The latest confirmed casualty figure is three dead and several injured.
