Stop Politicising Food Stampede, FG Tell Politicians

The federal government has warned politicians and stakeholders not to impute political meanings to the tragic incidents in Ibadan, Abuja, and Okija, where scores of people scrambling for palliatives and food items died.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who made the appeal on Sunday in a statement, promised that the hard times the country was currently going through would be over soon.

In Lagos State, the government banned the gathering of people for any event without government permission, warning that organisers risk prosecution if they flout the regulations.

The Anambra State Police Command gave an update on the stampede that happened in Okija on Saturday during an event to distribute rice to indigent people, saying no fewer than 22 people died.

The state governor, Chukwuma Soludo, gave directives on how subsequent distribution of food items by philanthropists to indigent people must be done to forestall further loss of lives.

The information minister insisted that the tragic events were in no way connected to the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms.

He said, “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 unfounded and disingenuous.”

The minister also expressed deep sympathy with the families of those who lost their lives in the stampedes in Ibadan, Abuja, and Okija.

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

He described the tragedies that claimed over 74 lives as deeply saddening, stating that the incidents underscore the importance of ensuring proper crowd management during such charitable activities, especially during the festive seasons.