Niger State, Nigeria has been shaken by a tragic incident at the Government House in Minna, where a stampede led to the deaths of at least eight individuals, including many women and children. The chaos reportedly erupted when a large crowd gathered to receive N10,000 palliatives distributed by the state government.
Witnesses described the crowd as unruly and uncontrollable, which directly contributed to the stampede. Some reports suggest that tensions escalated when a government official threw money into the air, inciting panic among the attendees.
Among the casualties was a woman and her two daughters, who were trampled during the chaos. Numerous others sustained injuries and were transported to a nearby Primary Healthcare Centre for treatment. However, as conditions worsened for several injured individuals, they were transferred to the general hospital, where some of them later died.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Wasiu Abiodun, stated that the police had not yet been informed of the incident. Attempts to reach the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Alhaji Bologi Ibrahim, and the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Obed Nana, for comments were unsuccessful.
This tragedy follows another recent incident in Niger State, where 37 illegal miners died while in custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. Furthermore, a similar stampede at the Government House occurred in 2023, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries.
