Five Die in Crash Involving Niger Governor’s Convoy in Minna

Five people have reportedly died in a road crash involving a vehicle in the convoy of Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago along the Minna–Bida Road.

The accident occurred on Monday, October 26, at Gidan Mangoro in Minna, the state capital, when a Toyota Hilux travelling with the governor’s convoy reportedly collided head-on with a private Peugeot 206.

The circumstances surrounding the crash and the identities of all the deceased have yet to be fully established, as reports have provided conflicting accounts of the victims.

A report published on Tuesday identified the deceased as four male students and a woman, identified as Nafisa, who was driving the Peugeot. The students were suspected to be postgraduate students of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, although their identities and academic status were not independently confirmed.

However, another report published on Wednesday identified the driver of the government Hilux as the fifth fatality, alongside the four students. The conflicting accounts have not been resolved through an accessible official casualty record.

The crash reportedly occurred while the governor’s entourage was returning from Bida, where Bago and members of his team had visited the Etsu Nupe and chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, to offer condolences following the death of Sagi Nupe, Hajia Aisha.

A resident of Gidan Mangoro, Abdullahi Musa, alleged that the Hilux driver caused the collision while attempting to overtake another vehicle.

Musa claimed that the Peugeot was travelling in its lane when the Hilux collided with it. However, the allegation has not been established by an official investigation.

A staff member at Minna General Hospital, where victims were reportedly taken, said three people died at the scene while two others later succumbed to their injuries. Some injured occupants were subsequently referred to IBB Specialist Hospital for further treatment.

The Federal Road Safety Corps’ Niger State Sector Commander, Aishat Sa’adu, confirmed the accident, saying her officers arrived after the victims had been evacuated to hospitals.

The spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, Superintendent of Police Wasiu Abiodun, also confirmed the crash and said the command was investigating the incident.

The reports further indicated that Dauda Chikuba, identified as the Director-General of the Government House, was among those injured. A former local government council chairman was also reported to have sustained fractures to his legs.

The police had not publicly disclosed the identities of the deceased or provided a definitive breakdown of the casualties in the accounts reviewed.

The ongoing investigation is expected to establish the circumstances of the collision and clarify the conflicting reports about the victims.