Three Dead, Six Injured In Stampede Over N10,000 Cash Handout At Niger Government House

Three women lost their lives while six others were critically injured in a stampede at the Niger State Government House in Minna on Tuesday evening during a N10,000 cash distribution.

Three women lost their lives while six others were critically injured in a stampede at the Niger State Government House in Minna on Tuesday evening.

The deceased were identified as Maryam Haruna Yakubu, a casual staff member at the government house, and two internally displaced persons from Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area, Dije Gambo and her daughter, Hulaira Abubakar, a mother of five.

According to Daily Trust, Hulaira’s husband, Abubakar, a butcher in Allawa community, was reportedly killed by bandits in 2023 along the Allawa-Pandogari Road. Following the attack, Hulaira left Allawa and had been living in Maitumbi area of Minna as an IDP.

Daily Trust learnt that Dije, who was staying with her husband as an IDP in Gurmana, had visited her daughter in Minna when they both heard that Governor Mohammed Umar Bago had invited people and may distribute money. They subsequently joined the crowd gathered at the government house to collect cash.

Mallam Musa Allawa, one of the IDPs, said the remains of Dije and Hulaira were laid to rest at 10am on Wednesday at the Unguwan-Daji Muslim cemetery.

At the Minna General Hospital emergency unit on Wednesday morning, two of the injured victims who were in critical condition were being referred to the IBB Specialist Hospital for advanced treatment. A hospital staff member said nine people were brought in — eight women and a man — six alive but unconscious, three already dead.

How It Occurred

It was gathered that some youths had planned to protest against the death of 37 artisanal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The news had circulated on social media last week and authorities got wind of the plan.

The governor reportedly invited some youths to the government house on Tuesday to address them to shelve the demonstration.
Some appointees of the governor posted on social media that the youths had gathered to show solidarity with him.

One of the appointees told Daily Trust that other people, including women, later trooped to the government house after hearing that the governor would distribute N10,000 each to the youths.

The stampede occurred after the governor had addressed the crowd and his aides brought cash to share. Following the stampede, the money was taken back and the victims were evacuated immediately to the hospital.

When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Bologi Ibrahim, said the government would release a statement in due course. The spokesperson for the Niger Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said he would verify the information and revert.

A similar incident occurred in November 2023 at the same government house, where a pregnant woman allegedly suffered a miscarriage while struggling to collect N5,000 being distributed, with reports of children collapsing during the distribution.