By Ado Oyeyemi
At least three people, including a mother and her daughter, have died while several others sustained injuries in a stampede at the Niger State Government House in Minna.
The injured victims were said to have been taken to the Minna General Hospital for treatment.
The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday night when youths linked to a planned protest over the deaths of 37 artisanal miners were allegedly invited to the Government House and asked to suspend the demonstration.
Among those who died were a woman identified as Dije and her daughter, Hurairat, both internally displaced persons from Allawa community in the Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.
Hurairat’s husband, Abubakar, a butcher, was reportedly killed by bandits in 2023 along the Allawa-Pandogari Road.
Following the attack and the subsequent abandonment of the community, Hurairat relocated to Minna, where she had been living as an IDP.
Dije, who was staying with her husband as an IDP in Gurmana, had reportedly gone to visit her daughter when they heard that the state governor would distribute money at the Government House. The two subsequently went to the venue.
An IDP from Allawa, Mallam Musa Allawa, told Daily Trust that Dije and Hurairat were expected to be buried at 10am on Wednesday.
The incident followed reports on social media by some government appointees that youths had gathered at the Government House to express solidarity with Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.
A government appointee told Daily Trust that more people, including women, later arrived at the venue after hearing that the governor would give N10,000 to those gathered.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Bologi Ibrahim, when contacted, said the state government would issue a statement on the incident.
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Similarly, the spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said he would verify the report and provide further information.
