FG Condoles with Families of Stampede Victims.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has sympathised with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the tragic stampedes that occurred during food distribution exercises in Ibadan, Abuja, and Okija.
The Minister said the tragedies are deeply saddening and underscore the importance of ensuring proper crowd management during such charitable activities, especially during the festive season.
In a statement, the Minister’s special adviser on media, Rabiu Ibrahim, said the Minister
acknowledged the noble intentions of organizers seeking to bring relief to vulnerable members of society, but strongly admonishes all individuals and organizations planning similar events to comply with the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun on liaising with the police formations for effective crowd control and security measures.
The Minister 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.
He appealed to politicians and other stakeholders to refrain from politicizing the unfortunate incidents, stressing that those tragic events are in no way connected to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s economic reforms that are designed to uplift the lives of all Nigerians, particularly the vulnerable without causing 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.
