The Nigerian government has rejected any suggestion linking a series of tragic deaths from stampedes in at least three locations to its economic policies.
At least 50 people, mostly women and children, were crushed to death as stampedes broke out in centres where public-spirited individuals were distributing relief and palliatives to the poor.
On Sunday, the Federal Government condoled with the families of the victims but cautioned against politicizing the tragedy.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and all those affected by these unfortunate incidents.”
“It is worth noting that similar unfortunate occurrences have been recorded in the past, before the current administration, and as such, making any attempt to link these tragedies to the President’s reforms is unfounded and disingenuous,” he said.
The minister said the tragedies were deeply saddening and underscored the importance of proper crowd management during such charitable activities, especially during the festive season.
Avoiding Future Occurrence
Acknowledging the noble intentions of organizers seeking to bring relief to vulnerable members of society, the minister admonished all individuals and organizations planning similar events to comply with the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, on liaising with police formations for effective crowd control and security measures.
According to him, collaboration with the police and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is crucial to safeguarding lives and ensuring that such efforts to assist those in need do not inadvertently lead to further distress.
The minister called for a collective sense of responsibility and urged citizens to unite and ensure that the Yuletide season is marked by peace, goodwill, and joy, devoid of preventable tragedies.
The Police in Anambra State yesterday put the death toll in the Okija tragedy at 22. Some attendees were also injured during the distribution of bags of rice by the non-profit organization ObiJackson Foundation to the less-privileged on Saturday.
The FCT Police Command, as of yesterday, gave no death figure on the tragedy at the venue of palliative distribution by Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, but initial figures put the number of fatalities at 10.
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