Nigeria probing stampede deaths at cash handout

At least three women were killed in a stampede during a cash distribution at the Niger State Government House in Minna, central Nigeria, on Tuesday night, according to a medical source.

Thousands gathered at the official residence of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, where each person was due to receive 10,000 naira ($7.50). A paramedic at Minna General Hospital said six injured people and three bodies were brought to the facility. “All the dead bodies were women,” the paramedic said, requesting anonymity for fear of sanctions.

A United Nations security report put the death toll at five, while ThisDay newspaper reported eight deaths, mostly women and children. Police said they were still gathering details. Among the victims were Dije and her daughter, Hurairat, both internally displaced persons from the Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area, according to Daily Nigerian. They were buried on Wednesday.

The cash distribution was reportedly organised partly to prevent a planned protest over the deaths of 37 artisanal miners who suffocated in a crowded, poorly ventilated cell while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on September 17.

The miners’ deaths triggered protests in Minna, and the Federal Government has set up a 10-member independent committee to investigate. The NSCDC Niger State Commandant and 21 officers have been detained.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar expressed sorrow over the stampede and called for an investigation. Amnesty International also urged authorities to probe the deaths.

Deadly stampedes during cash and food distributions have occurred several times in Nigeria, including a December 2024 crush at a Christmas fair in Ibadan that killed 35 children.

SOURCE: AFP