At least five youths are feared dead following a stampede at the Niger State Government House in Minna on Tuesday during a gathering organised by Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago ahead of a planned Independence Day protest.
More than 5,000 youths reportedly gathered at the Government House for the meeting. The situation reportedly became chaotic when a rush for money allegedly being distributed by the governor triggered a stampede.
Several people were said to have sustained injuries, while ambulances transported some victims to the General Hospital, Minna, for medical treatment.
The incident also prompted some families to visit the hospital in search of relatives who had attended the gathering.
A source at the Government House, who spoke anonymously, expressed concern over the large crowd and the lack of adequate crowd-control measures.
The source said the number of people allowed into the premises had become overwhelming and that security personnel should have anticipated the situation.
Meanwhile, a source at the General Hospital, Minna, confirmed that two ambulances had transported injured youths to the facility.
However, the hospital source could not confirm the exact number of victims brought in, saying medical personnel were working to create bed spaces and attend to those injured.
As of press time, the reported five deaths had not been independently confirmed.
Attempts to obtain an official reaction from the governor’s Chief Press Secretary were unsuccessful, as his telephone lines were reportedly unreachable.
The Niger State Government had also not issued an official statement regarding the reported stampede or casualties.
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