IGP WARNS AGAINST UNORGANIZED DISTRIBUTION OF PALLIATIVES, FUNFAIRS.

As 2 Other Incidences Hit FCT, Anambra.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM., has raised serious concerns about the unorganized distribution of palliatives and relief items in the country during this festive period. This trend is worrisome and calls for urgent concerns to save the lives of citizens of this country, especially the vulnerable youths and the elderly.

This warning follows a series of tragic incidents that highlight the urgent need for a more structured and effective approach to delivering aid to vulnerable communities and members of the public in general. It would be recalled that on the 18th of December 2024, a tragic incident had occurred in Ibadan, Oyo State, where a stampede at a children’s fun fair resulted in the deaths of at least 35 children and left many others critically injured.

In the early hours of today, the 21st of December 2024, another tragedy struck at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, in a similar stampede that occurred during the distribution of food items to vulnerable and elderly individuals. This unfortunate incident led to the death of 10 individuals, leaving many others injured.

A similar incident also occurred at Okija, Ihiala Local Government, Anambra State at a palliative distribution set up by a philanthropist identified as Obi Jackson, which led to the death of several individuals. At the moment, 3 persons have been confirmed dead while many injured have been taken to various hospitals for adequate treatment.

The IGP emphasized the dangers posed to public safety during these unorganized distributions and funfairs set up by groups, individuals and NGOs, including the potential for stampedes and other incidents that could endanger lives. The lack of a well-defined plan for distributing palliatives has resulted in chaos, leading to long lines and unnecessary confrontations among citizens seeking assistance.

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. The IGP has hereby warned groups and organizers of similar events to ensure the involvement of security agencies as negligence on their part is criminal and would not be overlooked, as provided for in Sec. 196 of the Penal Code and Sec. 344 of the Criminal Code, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In addition, the IGP has encouraged the general public who would want to benefit from such distributions to tread with caution, prioritizing their safety, to avoid unforeseen calamities.

The Nigeria Police Force reiterates its commitment to supporting efforts aimed at creating a safer and more structured environment for aid distribution in our communities. Collaborating with relevant stakeholders, the Force aims to prevent future tragedies and ensure such processes are seamless.

The IGP has ordered the Commissioners of the affected states to carry out thorough investigations into these ugly incidences for further legal actions. The Inspector-General of Police therefore sympathizes with the bereaved families and wishes those injured quick recovery.

ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, mnipr, mipra, fCAI,
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER,
FORCE HEADQUARTERS,
ABUJA.

21ST DECEMBER, 2024.

Anyone found culpable should be arrested and jailed

Ibadan incidence may not have been foreseen by the organizers but the subsequent ones are products of gross negligence and refusing to learn from incidence

Moreover if you are one of those making mokery of another tribe due to these incidences, check yourself, you are gone and worthless to the human race. It's sad that human beings have become so cold and heartless.

One day we will all die or lose our loved ones, one day we will all mourn or be mourned. yesterday may be 34 yorubas, today may be 36 Igbos, tomorrow may be you. Death and tragedy knows no tribe, it's sad that we now mock and cajole each other, feeling like winners because people from other tribe are mourning their Dead

Front page moderator

Is government feeding people? An hungry man is an angry man, Nlfpmod.

Just collect people account number and credit them, they can use the money based on their scale of preference, the blessing will still locate you, why the public gathering when there's easier and more efficient delivery system?

People are starving, no matter how you organize it, as far as it is a physical exercise, people will still do whatever it takes to take part

Hmmmmmm

they said Nigerians have to be sacrificed for better future.But they exempted themselves.instead of making life easy for the people,they look for a way to make it harder. I warn them but they didn't listen.their demon have cast a spell of hunger and death in the land .but the righteous will always prosper

Good better late than never.

Tell your boss the country is hungry
It’s your fault and your boss’

The rice and gifts should be monetized and sent to accounts

This stampede is getting out of hands. FG should do something abt hunger in the land. Haba

Let the president work on human infrastructure development like reducing price of food they is serious hunger in Nigeria

Yankee101:
Tell your boss the country is hungry
It’s your fault and your boss’

It is his fault that lazy people that lack innovation are hungry?

No woner u are hungry.

The idiots cannot ban hunger first?

Johnpat198:
Let the president work on human infrastructure development like reducing price of food they is serious hunger in Nigeria

But na the individual states of the federation they control agriculture based on their comparative advantages, so how does the Federal Government reduce the price of Garri, or beans?

buckeyemedia:
It is his fault that lazy people that lack innovation are hungry?

No woner u are hungry.

If the so called people arent innovative,
Its your politicians that are innovative abi?

Blitzerz:

If the so called people arent innovative,
Its your politicians that are innovative abi?

The so called politicians, are only a reflection of their lazy constituents.

Or who is the politician without you his people? U are all the same.

Charcoal Pot, calling electric kettle black.

ekineme:
Just collect people account number and credit them, they can use the money based on their scale of preference, the blessing will still locate you, why the public gathering when there's easier and more efficient delivery system?

When you call for then to submit their aza, wount the stampede be 1000 times worse? That one is mass loss of life ohh..

We will continue to suffer from our poor education and lack of societal order that is a national culture.

That need to always cheat even when it is just to maintain one's position in a queue, is what we are seeing the consequences today.

Then to now compound it with lack of crowd management techniques that both government and private organizers seem to lack.

I never knew the value of English language comprehension exercises that we were all given in primary and secondary school, until I had a chance to see many educated Nigerians make a fool of themselves on this Nairaland when responding to topics and asking for information that is already in the report, or blatantly misunderstanding information that is already provided in simple terms.

I will never forget the experience of a Nigerian friend who visited Accra Ghana and asked her taxi driver to leave the queue and climb the low culvert of the road so as to get ahead of the traffic, only for the surprised driver to ask her if she is a Nigerian.

He must have had similar requests from a notorious people who are used to such nonsense as normal road user etiquette, and cannot understand why others are complying to rules and processes.

We are oozing of lawlessness and disorder.

Na now IGP woke up. Naturally, even uninvited, Police quickly goes to where crowd is gathering in order to avert stampede.
Nigeria Police would want to be paid cash to invite Police fir crowd control anywhere in Nigeria.

Issuing threats when you people are the root of the hardship the masses are experiencing... Hypocrite IGP doing the bidding of his slave master.

Nonsense!

Freebie sharing need to either stop, or the organizers should announce something along the line that "20% would be shared on Monday, 15% on Tuesday, 15% on Wednesday, 20% on Thursday, 30% on Friday", to distribute the crowd that may show up. A person wanting to rush there on Monday may get a second thought and defer it till the next date, and so on and so forth, potentially limiting the crowd.

Omo so make people no help others again in this hardship.
If I ask police for help another spending

Mr. IG of police tell the president to make things to be easier for everyone in d country, make the economy of the country to be strong to avoid future recurrence

buckeyemedia:
The so called politicians, are only a reflection of their lazy constituents.

Or who is the politician without you his people? U are all the same.

Charcoal Pot, calling electric kettle black.

So i guess the leadership cycle should continue to you and your generations unborn now?
Or the change should start from the foot and not the head abi?

He should call for the arrest of hunger instead

1

This situation is getting out of control. The government should take action to address hunger in the country.