Tension erupted in Bida, Niger State, on Sunday when a group of angry youths attacked the convoy of Governor Umar Bago, vandalising several vehicles and injuring a senior government official after a failed cash distribution exercise.
According to eyewitnesses, the unrest began after the governor reportedly promised residents cash gifts ahead of the forthcoming local government elections, urging them to gather on Friday to receive the money. However, the exercise allegedly ended in frustration when only a few individuals benefited, sparking outrage among the waiting crowd.
“The governor promised that everyone would receive money, but only a few people got anything. That’s when the youths started shouting and attacking,” one resident told DAILY POST.
The mob reportedly pelted the governor’s convoy with stones and sachet water, damaging at least six vehicles. The chaos broke out near the town hall in Bida, with security personnel struggling to control the angry crowd.
Witnesses said the situation later escalated as some of the protesters vandalised campaign billboards belonging to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and to the governor himself.
“The people were very angry because they waited for him to fulfil his promise. When he didn’t, they lost control,” another eyewitness recounted.
Sunday’s incident comes just days after a tragic stampede during a similar cash-sharing event in Bida, allegedly linked to the governor’s political outreach. That earlier episode claimed the life of a young girl and left several others injured.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Niger State Government nor the police had issued an official statement on the attack.
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