The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday night after a large crowd gathered at the Government House, with the injured victims taken to the General Hospital, Minna, for treatment.
The gathering was reportedly linked to efforts by government officials to engage youths who were said to be planning a protest over the recent deaths of 37 artisanal miners in the state.
Among those confirmed dead were a woman identified as Dije and her daughter, Hurairat, both internally displaced persons from Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area.
Hurairat’s husband, Abubakar, was reportedly killed by bandits in 2023 along the Allawa–Pandogari Road, forcing her to relocate to Minna as an IDP after the community was deserted following repeated attacks.
Sources said Dije, who had been living with her husband in Gurmana, was visiting her daughter when they heard reports that money would be distributed at the Government House.
The mother and daughter reportedly joined the crowd following the information, but were caught up in the stampede that later occurred.
An IDP, Mallam Musa Allawa, told journalists that Dije and Hurairat were expected to be buried on Wednesday morning.
Earlier, some government appointees had posted on social media that youths had gathered at the Government House to show solidarity with Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.
A government source, however, said the crowd grew after more people, including women, reportedly arrived at the venue following information that the governor would distribute N10,000 to those present.
The exact circumstances that led to the stampede and the total number of casualties remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.
When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Bologi Ibrahim, said the state government would issue an official statement on the incident.
The spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, also said he would verify the development and provide further details.
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