Three Die In Niger Government House Stampede

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

Naija News reports that the injured victims were taken to the Minna General Hospital for medical treatment following the incident.

The stampede occurred on Tuesday night after youths linked to a planned protest over the deaths of 37 artisanal miners gathered at the Government House.

The youths were said to have been invited to the Government House as part of efforts to persuade them to cancel the planned protest.

The incident also claimed the lives of Dije and her daughter, Hurairat, who were internally displaced persons from Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.

According to Daily Trust, Hurairat had been living in Minna after her husband, Abubakar, a butcher, was reportedly killed by bandits in 2023 along the Allawa-Pandogari Road.

The attack had forced residents to leave the Allawa community, with Hurairat among those who relocated to Minna as an internally displaced person.

Dije, who was also staying as an IDP in Gurmana with her husband, had gone to visit her daughter in Minna before they both heard that money would be distributed at the Government House.

They subsequently went to the Government House, where a large crowd had gathered.

Sources said some government appointees had earlier posted on social media that youths at the Government House were there to show support for Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.

However, the crowd reportedly increased after news spread that the governor would distribute ₦10,000 to people who had gathered at the venue.

The large turnout reportedly led to a rush among those at the Government House, resulting in the stampede.

The Niger State Government had yet to issue a detailed statement on the incident.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Bologi Ibrahim, said the government would provide information on the matter in due course.