Mother, Daughter Among 3 Killed in Tragic Niger Govt House Stampede Over Alleged N10,000 Giveaway
- At least three people died and several others were injured after a stampede broke out at the Niger State Government House in Minna on Tuesday night, September 29
- Among the dead were two IDPs from Shiroro LGA, a mother and her daughter who had already lost a husband to a bandit attack in 2023
- The incident happened after word spread that Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago would distribute N10,000 to those gathered at the Government House
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Minna, Niger state - At least three people died and several others were injured on Tuesday night, September 29, after a stampede broke out at the Niger State Government House in Minna. The injured are currently receiving treatment at the Minna General Hospital.
Daily Trust reports that the incident took place after youths reportedly linked to a planned protest over the recent deaths of 37 artisanal miners were allegedly invited to the Government House to call off their demonstration. However, word spread quickly that Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago would share N10,000 with everyone present, prompting large numbers of women and others to join the crowd.
Source: Twitter
Victims Identified as IDPs From Shiroro
Two of those who died were identified as Dije and her daughter, Hurairat, both internally displaced persons (IDPs) originally from the Allawa community in Shiroro local government area. Hurairat's husband, Abubakar, a butcher, was killed by bandits in 2023 along the Allawa-Pandogari Road.
After the attack and the subsequent abandonment of Allawa, Hurairat had been living in Minna as an IDP. Dije, who had been staying with her husband in Gurmana as an IDP, was visiting her daughter when both women heard about the alleged distribution at the Government House and decided to go.
Mallam Musa Allawa, one of the IDPs, told reporters that Dije and Hurairat were to be buried at 10am on Wednesday, September 30.
Government, Police Yet to Respond Fully
Before the stampede, several appointees of the governor had posted on social media that youths had gathered at the Government House to show solidarity with Governor Bago, according to Daily Trust. One of those appointees later told reporters that the situation changed when additional crowds, including women, arrived after hearing the money-sharing rumour.
The newspaper said the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Bologi Ibrahim, said the government would release a statement in due course. The Spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said he would verify the information and respond.
37 Niger Miners Who Died in NSCDC Custody in Niger State
In another report from Niger state, the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has identified 37 suspected illegal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), compiling their names from records at General Hospital, Minna.
Legit.ng reports that Awaisu Giwa, the international peace ambassador at the IHRC, said on Sunday, September 20, that the organisation obtained the initial list from the hospital's mortuary attendant, who wrote it down on the instruction of the hospital's chief medical director (CMD).
Source: Legit.ng
