John Adams, Minna
No fewer than seven people, all female have been found dead inside a hair dressing salon in Rijau, the headquarters of Rijau Local Government Area of the Niger State.
The incident occurred on Thursday night where the victims, two married women and five ladies had gone to make their hair preparatory for Sallah celebration on Friday.
Although the cause of the death still remains sketchy as at the time of filing this report, a source close to the community told Sunday Sun that the victims might have died from generator inhalation.
It was gathered that due to the downpour that evening, and the eagerness of the women to get their hair done, the hairdresser decided to take the generator inside the salon, closed the door and continued with her work.
It was in the process that five of the victims suffocated to death after inhaling smoke from the generator. The two others struggled with death until the next day when they were discovered.
However, an attempt by the people to rush the two surviving victims to a nearby hospital at Tungan Magajia was delayed following an alleged insistence by a top politician in the area that the chairman of the council, Mallam Bello Bako, must come and witness the incident before the bodies could be evacuated to the hospital.
It was further gathered that after a serious protest by the people for the two victims to be taken to the hospital, and the intervention of Sarkin Rijau, Alhaji Mohammed Bello Gidiya, that they were eventually rushed to the hospital but they died 10 minutes later.
The bodies of the deceased were said to have been released to their relations, and buried according to Islamic rites.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), ASP Wasiu Abioun confirmed the incident but did not give the names of the victims.
He, however, disclosed that an investigation had commenced to unravel the circumstances surrounding their death.
In another development, two policemen lost their lives in Minna, the state capital on Thursday night.
Although the exact cause of their death remained unknown as the police command is yet to confirm the incident, it was gathered that the policemen died while on a night patrol.