President Bola Tinubu has cancelled his scheduled outing in Lagos on Saturday over deadly stampedes in Abuja and Okija, Anambra State, where many lost their lives while seeking food assistance.
Tinubu was scheduled to attend the 2024 Lagos Boat Regatta, according to his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Onanuga said dignitaries and Lagos State government officials were already gathered for the boat parade when Tinubu cancelled his attendance after he was briefed about the tragedies.
At least 10 persons reportedly died and many others were injured during the distribution of food items to the vulnerable and elderly at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja.
In Okija, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra, over 20 people were reportedly killed during a rice-sharing event organised by the ObiJackson Foundation.
Earlier in the week, about 35 people, mostly children, died at a Christmas funfair organised by the estranged wife of the Ooni of Ife, Queen Naomi Silekunola Ogunwusi.
In response, President Tinubu called for the immediate implementation of strict crowd control measures by states and relevant authorities.
‘‘In a season of joy and celebration, we grieve with fellow citizens mourning the painful losses of their loved ones. Our prayers of divine comfort and healing are with them,’’ Tinubu said.
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, also expressed regret over the incidents
While acknowledging the good intentions of the event organizers, Obi pointed to deeper systemic issues and questioned how a resource-rich nation could face such severe food insecurity.
He wrote on X, “I am deeply saddened and distressed by the tragic loss of lives in desperate searches for food. A few days ago, about 35 people, mostly children, lost their lives in a stampede at a Christmas Funfair in Ibadan, Oyo State.
“This morning, reports emerged of at least 10 people losing their lives in Abuja while scrambling for palliatives, with many others injured.
“Now, I just heard that about 19 more lives were lost in another stampede in Okija, Anambra State, as people struggled to receive food items.
“While I will not cast blame, but instead appreciate the organizers of these respective events for their kind gestures in providing palliatives and support to society, especially the poor, these tragedies reflect the systemic failures that plague our society.
“The desperate quest for survival in these harsh economic times has driven our people to extremes in their search for food, often at the cost of their lives.
“How do we explain that in a nation blessed with abundant resources, our people are dying of hunger in such numbers? How is it possible that we cannot feed our citizens despite the vast, fertile lands our nation is endowed with? My heart bleeds.
“One can only imagine the pain their families are enduring at this moment. My heart goes out to them. I sincerely commiserate with all the affected families and the good people of Oyo, Anambra, and the FCT over these tragic incidents. May God grant them, and all of us, the strength to bear these painful losses.
“May God Almighty grant the departed souls eternal rest, and may the injured recover swiftly.”