- Over 35 lives lost in Ibadan carnival stampede, mostly children.
- Two stampede incidents occurred in Anambra and Abuja on Saturday.
- About 20 lives were lost in Anambra, 10 confirmed dead in Abuja incident.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has launched a probe into the stampede incidents in Oyo, Anambra, and the federal capital territory.
Egbetokun cautioned event organizers that their failure to exercise due care would be considered a criminal offense.
The IGP attributed the chaos and unnecessary confrontations to the “lack of a well defined plan” for palliative distribution.
Egbetokun directed commissioners of police in the affected states to conduct thorough investigations into the incidents, paving the way for potential legal action.
The IGP urged government officials, community leaders, and NGOs to collaborate in establishing a comprehensive framework for palliative distribution, as stated:
“In light of these developments, the IGP has called on government officials, community leaders, and non-governmental organizations to work collaboratively towards establishing a comprehensive and organized framework for distributing palliatives,” he said.
The IGP warned event organizers to involve security agencies, emphasizing that negligence would be prosecuted under Sec. 196 of the Penal Code and Sec. 344 of the Criminal Code.
Additionally, the IGP advised the public to exercise caution when participating in such events, prioritizing safety to avoid unforeseen disasters.
Tragedy struck on Wednesday when over 35 lives, mostly children, were lost in a stampede at an Ibadan carnival.
On Saturday, two stampede incidents occurred in Anambra’s Ojika community and Abuja’s Maitama area during rice and relief material distribution.
The Anambra incident claimed over 20 lives, while 10 fatalities were confirmed in the Abuja incident.