The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has expressed deep concern for the loss of lives in Maitama, Abuja, and at Okija in Anambra State.
The incidents occurred on Saturday, 21 December, 2024 during events for the distribution of food by private institutions aimed at supporting the people as they celebrate the festive season.
The two harrowing experiences, which claimed many lives and left many others injured, occurred at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, and a community centre in Okija, Anambra State. This happened 72 hours after the stampede incident in Ibadan, Oyo State, that left scores dead and many others injured.
Reacting, the Minister, in a statement by her media team on Saturday, expressed deep grief, describing the gestures of the donors as laudable, but condemned the crowd management approaches adopted.
The incidents, according to Sulaiman-Ibrahim, were avoidable, and she prayed for the repose of their souls, and a speedy recovery for those injured.
While condoling with the FCT Minister, His Excellency Nyesom Wike and the Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Soludo, the Minister called for thorough investigations into the incidents in order to forestall future occurrences.
The Minister emphasized the need for crowd assessment which involves estimating the number of recipients and planning accordingly as a pre-event measure.
She also admonished Nigerians who are planning similar distributions to choose spacious, open areas with minimal obstacles, adding that distributions should be scheduled at a time when the crowd is likely to be smaller.
The statement reads in parts: “I am deeply pained by the news of stampedes in Abuja and Okija in Anambra State today. As a mother, I understand the pain of loosing anyone to death under such horrible circumstances. I join the families and governments of the FCT and Anambra State in this distressing moments, and feels the pains of those directly affected.
“These incidences are avoidable if adequate safety measures are put in place. I hereby call on security agencies to investigate these cases in order to forestall future occurrences.
“By implementing the above measures, the risk of stampedes during food distribution would be minimized.
