Two elderly women died on Saturday in a violent struggle for Ramadan gifts distributed on behalf of a former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, at Onikan Stadium in the state.

SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that a middle-aged man fainted in the commotion, while several others were injured during the distribution by the Iyaloja General of Nigeria and Tinubu’s daughter, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo.

The Lagos State Police Command, however, said no deaths were recorded from the stampede.

Each gift pack was said to have included a package of rice, salt, noodles and sugar, as well as a sum of N1,500 contained in an envelope, which were given to each person.

It was learnt that the injured were rushed to the Marina General Hospital, while corpses of the deceased women, who were said to be in their sixties, were deposited at the hospital’s morgue.

An eyewitness, Musbau Adeyanju, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone on Saturday evening, said a crowd had besieged the stadium around 8am to collect the gifts, with males and females maintaining separate queues.

He said the exercise was smooth until around 11.30am when it was disrupted by some impatient persons.

Adeyanju said, “We started entering the stadium with a pass as early as 8am. The distribution started at 10am and each person was collecting a bag containing rice, semovita, noodles, sugar and salt and a sum of N1,500. It was Iyaloja General that represented Asiwaju.

“Around 11.30am, people became impatient for the fear that the gifts might not get to them. There was a stampede and two persons died in the process. Their bodies were laid under a tent, while an ambulance that would carry them was being awaited. It was when the clothes that were used to cover their faces were removed that I discovered they were elderly women.

“Their bodies were eventually taken to the mortuary by an ambulance of the Lagos State Ambulance Services. Several people were also injured. I left the place after the women died.”

Another eyewitness, who identified himself only as Idris, said some hoodlums cashed in on the stampede to dispossess people of their valuables.

“Initially, the programme was well organised. A gate was opened for males and another for females. Suddenly, some hoodlums at the stadium started snatching phones from people. It was almost my turn when the distribution was disrupted. The age of the women that died should be around 60,” he said.

An emergency official, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, confirmed that there were casualties during the rampage.

He was, however, silent on whether there were fatalities among the casualties.

“I cannot say whether the casualties involved loss of lives. But some people were rushed to the hospital,” he stated.

General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Michael Akindele, denied knowledge of the deaths.

“LASEMA did not get any report of such,” he said.

The Lagos State Police Command’s spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, said it was only a man who collapsed and was treated on the spot before he was taken to the general hospital for further treatment.

She said, “It was a Ramadan lecture organised by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu but he was not there. He was represented. The place became rowdy during the distribution of gifts and a man collapsed in the process. He was treated inside the ambulance at the stadium and was later taken to the hospital for proper treatment. No death was recorded.”

The Lagos State Police Command, however, said no deaths were recorded from the stampede. Each gift pack was said to have included a package of rice, salt, noodles and sugar, as well as a sum of N1,500 contained in an envelope, which were given to each person.

Flexherbal:
Hunger!

ouigy99:
Even though there is hunger in the land, I cam bet you that most of those that went there to collect those stuff are able to afford it for themselves.
Apart from hunger, part of our problem is greed. Some will go there, more than once to get the indomie, sugar, rice etc. So that they can go and sell it and make some money they will use to play baba ijebu.
RIP to the dead

ADEWUMIMichael:
Two elderly women died on
Saturday in a violent
struggle for Ramadan gifts
distributed on behalf of a
former Lagos State
Governor, Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu, at Onikan Stadium in
the state. SUNDAY
PUNCH learnt that a middle-
aged man fainted in the
commotion, while several
others were injured during
the distribution by the
Iyaloja General of Nigeria
and Tinubu’s daughter, Mrs.
Folashade Tinubu-Ojo. The
Lagos State Police
Command, however, said no
deaths were recorded from
the stampede.




Two elderly women died on
Saturday in a violent
struggle for Ramadan gifts
distributed on behalf of a
former Lagos State Governor,
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, at Onikan
Stadium in the state.




SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that a
middle-aged man fainted in the
commotion, while several others
were injured during the distribution
by the Iyaloja General of Nigeria and
Tinubu’s daughter, Mrs. Folashade
Tinubu-Ojo.



The Lagos State Police Command,
however, said no deaths were
recorded from the stampede.
Each gift pack was said to have
included a package of rice, salt,
noodles and sugar, as well as a
sum of N1,500 contained in an
envelope, which were given to each
person.



It was learnt that the injured were
rushed to the Marina General
Hospital, while corpses of the
deceased women, who were said to
be in their sixties, were deposited at
the hospital’s morgue.



An eyewitness, Musbau Adeyanju,
who spoke with our correspondent
on the telephone on Saturday
evening, said a crowd had besieged
the stadium around 8am to collect
the gifts, with males and females
maintaining separate queues.


He said the exercise was smooth
until around 11.30am when it was
disrupted by some impatient
persons.


Adeyanju said, “We started entering
the stadium with a pass as early as
8am. The distribution started at
10am and each person was
collecting a bag containing rice,
semovita, noodles, sugar and salt
and a sum of N1,500. It was Iyaloja
General that represented Asiwaju.
“Around 11.30am, people became
impatient for the fear that the gifts
might not get to them. There was a
stampede and two persons died in
the process. Their bodies were laid
under a tent, while an ambulance
that would carry them was being
awaited. It was when the clothes
that were used to cover their faces
were removed that I discovered they
were elderly women.



“Their bodies were eventually taken
to the mortuary by an ambulance of
the Lagos State Ambulance
Services. Several people were also
injured. I left the place after the
women died.”





Another eyewitness, who identified
himself only as Idris, said some
hoodlums cashed in on the
stampede to dispossess people of
their valuables.


“Initially, the programme was well
organised. A gate was opened for
males and another for females.
Suddenly, some hoodlums at the
stadium started snatching phones
from people. It was almost my turn
when the distribution was
disrupted. The age of the women
that died should be around 60,” he
said.



An emergency official, who spoke to
our correspondent on condition of
anonymity because he was not
authorised to speak on the matter,
confirmed that there were casualties
during the rampage.



He was, however, silent on whether
there were fatalities among the
casualties.
“I cannot say whether the casualties
involved loss of lives. But some
people were rushed to the hospital,”
he stated.


General Manager of the Lagos State
Emergency Management Agency,
Mr. Michael Akindele, denied
knowledge of the deaths.
“LASEMA did not get any report of
such,” he said.
The Lagos State Police Command’s
spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, said
it was only a man who collapsed
and was treated on the spot before
he was taken to the general hospital
for further treatment.



She said, “It was a Ramadan lecture
organised by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu
but he was not there. He was
represented. The place became
rowdy during the distribution of
gifts and a man collapsed in the
process. He was treated inside the
ambulance at the stadium and was
later taken to the hospital for proper
treatment. No death was recorded.”





Photo from the scene has not been distributed. online















saharareporters.com/2016/07/02/two-die-stampede-over-tinubu’s-ramadan-gifts

divineappo:
THIS NEWS IS FALSE, everyone pls, check the link after the false article, it's fabricated. Am not a fan of any Nigerian politician, not even Tinubu, but I just want to state the fact that, the OP is an idiot, it's evil to intentionally spread false info about someone. I believe in constructive criticism, not destructive criticism.

Tunami:
So much hunger in the land.

sukkot:
greed not hunger