Atiku mourns Nigerians who died in palliative stampedes

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has expressed his deepest sympathy for Nigerians who lost their lives in stampedes while struggling to get access to palliative food programmes in Anambra State and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

The two incidents which happened on Saturday, saw scores of persons killed while many others sustained varying degrees of injuries following stampedes during a food distribution event by a church in Abuja and a similar one in the Okija community of Anambra.

As many Nigerians continue to raise eyebrows on the incidents, Atiku also added his voice to the disaster while also calling for better crowd management during such events to prevent further occurrences in the future.

“It is with a heavy heart and deep sorrow that I receive yet again the heartbreaking news of lives lost in tragic stampedes, this time in Okija, Anambra, and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, resulting in the untimely passing of many,” Atiku wrote in a post on his X handle late Saturday.

“Ten persons have been confirmed dead and several others were wounded when a stampede happened during a food distribution campaign to the needy and vulnerable in Abuja.”

READ ALSO: Peter Obi blames hunger, systemic failures for deaths at food distribution grounds

Atiku also made reference to similar stampeding incident that happened last week in Ibadan, Oyo State, leading to the death of about 35 persons, mostly children, during a funfair.

“The anguish is all the more unbearable, as these recent tragedies strike just days after the devastating loss of nearly three dozen innocent children in a similar stampede at a funfair in Ibadan, Oyo State.

“On behalf of my family, I extend my sincerest condolences to those who have lost loved ones in today’s tragic events. Our thoughts and prayers are with the grieving families, that they may find solace and with the departed, that they may rest in eternal peace.

“We also stand in solidarity with the people and governments of Anambra and the Federal Capital Territory and extend our heartfelt sympathies to the Catholic Church, especially to the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama.

“It is imperative that those entrusted with the organization of such large-scale events take the utmost care in crowd management, prioritizing the safety and well-being of all participants,” Atiku advised.

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