At least three people have lost their lives while several others were injured following a stampede at the Niger State Government House in Minna.
The injured victims are currently receiving treatment at the Minna General Hospital.
It was gathered that the incident occurred on Tuesday night when youths reportedly linked to a planned protest over the recent deaths of 37 artisanal miners were allegedly invited to the Government House to shelve their protest.
Among those who lost their lives were a woman, 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 desertion of the Allawa community, Hurairat had been living in Minna as an IDP.
Dije, who was staying with her husband as an IDP in Gurmana, had visited her daughter, Hurairat, when they both heard that the governor was going to distribute money at the Government House. They subsequently went there.
Mallam Musa Allawa, one of the IDPs, told Daily Trust that Dije and Hurairat would both be buried at 10am on Wednesday.
Sources, including some appointees of the governor, had posted on social media before the stampede that the youths had gathered at the Government House to show solidarity with Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.
One of the appointees told other people, including women, later trooped to the Government House after hearing that the governor would distribute N10,000 to those gathered.
When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Bologi Ibrahim, said the government would release a statement in due course.
Also, the Spokesperson for the Niger Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, promised to verify the information and revert.
