Tinubu Responds to Stampede Incidents: A Look at His 25-Year Track Record
President Bola Tinubu has attributed recent fatal stampedes during palliative distributions in Nigeria to poor organization by the event organizers.
He emphasized that such tragedies are avoidable with proper planning and discipline. Drawing from his personal experience, Tinubu noted that he has been distributing food and other items in his Lagos residence for the past 25 years without any incidents, underscoring the importance of orderly conduct during such events.
The president’s comments follow a series of tragic incidents:
- On December 18, 35 children lost their lives in a stampede at a funfair event in Ibadan, Oyo State.
- On December 21, 10 people, including children, died during a palliative distribution at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Abuja.
- The same day, 22 individuals were reported dead during a rice distribution event at Amaranta Stadium in Ojika, Ihiala LGA.
President Tinubu stressed the need for better organization and discipline in society to prevent such occurrences.
He pointed out that even in countries like the United States and Britain, food banks operate in an orderly manner, with people queuing and collecting items without incident.
He urged organizers to ensure they have adequate provisions before publicizing such events to avoid chaos.