Tinubu not responsible for food stampede deaths – Nigerian Govt

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has warned politicians against politicizing the tragic stampedes that occurred during food distribution exercises in Ibadan, Abuja, and Okija.

The minister said similar occurrences were recorded during past administrations, saying it should not linked to President Bola Tinubu’s reforms.

He, however, sympathized with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.

According to the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Police Command, about ten dead bodies were recovered after the stampede at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama.

Also, in a similar incident not less than 20 residents of the Okija community in Anambra State died in a stampede that occurred during an event organized for the distribution of rice.

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Newspot also reported that over 35 people, mostly children, died during a stampede at a carnival in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, a few days ago.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and all those affected by these unfortunate incidents,” the minister said.

Idris said the tragedies are deeply saddening and underscore the importance of ensuring proper crowd management during such charitable activities.

While 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, Kayode Egbetokun on liaising with the police formations for effective crowd control and security measures.

He emphasized that 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, in the same vein, appealed to politicians and other stakeholders to refrain from politicizing the unfortunate incidents, stressing that those tragic events are in no way connected to the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms.

“It is worth noting that similar unfortunate occurrences have been recorded in the past, before the current administration, as such, making any attempt to link these tragedies to the President’s reforms is unfounded and disingenuous,” he said.

Idris said the reforms, while repositioning the Nigerian economy for sustainable growth, are designed to uplift the lives of all Nigerians, particularly the vulnerable without causing distress.

He 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.