Niger State Stampede Leaves Three Feared Dead Amid Chaos

On a Tuesday night, a stampede at the Niger State Government House in Minna resulted in three people being feared dead as youths and women gathered to show solidarity with Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago. The crowd grew larger after the visit of Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who came to commiserate with Governor Bago over the death of 37 suspected illegal miners.

Eyewitnesses reported that chaos ensued when rumors spread that the governor was distributing money at the Government House. The crowd continued to swell until around 10 PM, and the situation became increasingly uncontrollable when Governor Bago attempted to address the gathering but was unable to gain their attention, leading him to retreat inside the Government House.

As of the time of reporting, there was no official confirmation of the deaths, although a senior government official acknowledged that an incident had occurred.