Funfair Stampede: Human Rights Advocate Urge FG Intervention on Volunteers Charged With Murder
….Says the Nigerian government has 50% of the blame in the stampede occurrences.
By Onome Naomi
President of Ambassadors of Peace and Enlightenment Foundation ‘AMPEF,’ Comrade Prince Saviour Iche urges the federal government to intercede in the murder charges against organizers of the funfair events leading to the stampede. Opined that the recent stampede happenings in three states of the federation are as a result of a failed government, it shows the extent to which hunger has engulfed Nigerians.
The stampede that happened in Abuja, Anambra, and Oyo also explains that the Nigerian government has neglected her primary responsibilities to the masses. The provision of free food items and scholarships by private volunteers to support the less privileged had led the masses to embrace opportunities such as funfairs, leading to the loss of lives.
Although Tinubu’s administration gave directives for free transportation and a slash of food items in December 2024, the process was not monitored to see if these directives were effected; the price of food commodities skyrocketed immensely, transport for those travelling from one place to another for the Yuletide season became exorbitant, and transportation within the state also climaxed.
A survey shows that many Nigerians couldn’t celebrate as usual for lack of resources. The price of a bag of rice in Nigeria is sold at N120,000, while at the Nigerian/Cotonu border it is sold at N80,000, and at Cotonu it is sold at N60,000. The government would have done better if the border had been opened to enable the free flow of food items at an affordable price, as well as allow Nigerians to enjoy the availability of scarce commodities.
Whom do we blame? The idea of arresting and prosecuting the organizers of these charity events done to assist the less privileged since the government has failed to do so has led to a stampede. The government has failed to reach out to the citizens through subsidized food items and availability of resources, leading to the emergence of various philanthropists proposing to assist the less privileged with the aim to quell hunger.
The overwhelming crowd in these various places in wait for food supplies led to the death of over 120 persons, including children, and should not be pinned on the organizers alone. It is unfortunate that hunger has led many unto the battle of ‘survival of the fittest,’ and the government is partly to be blamed for the misfortune that has befallen the less privileged.
As we sympathize with the bereaved families for their losses, we should take note that the prosecution of organizers of these events will amount to a negative signal to volunteers across the country willing to do the same. Even if volunteers, despite happenings, employ measures to avoid stampede occurrences, there is only a very little chance that a stampede will not occur due to extreme poverty ravaging the country. In the future, organizers of charity events will resent gifting the poor in the country for fear of stampede and prosecution by the court of law.
Comrade Iche further stated that although he is inclined to occasionally perform philanthropic deeds as a philanthropist, he will not do so because of the way the court is processing cases involving charity event organizers who have stampede problems. He claimed that accusing volunteers of murder in court because of stampede incidents is excessively harsh for those who have good intentions but unfavorable results.
Iche calls on the federal government to effect the release of the organizers of the charity events involving stampedes and deaths of many. Urge FG to drop the murder charges against them, for it is not fair judgment on volunteers who solely had the intention to help the poor. The estranged wife of the Ooni of Ife was heard fainting at the realization that lives were lost; this simply means that the organizers are also sad at the turnout of events and should not be treated unfairly.
Iche added that the crowd witnessed at every food fair event and at the president’s residence of recent where people queued to get a loaf of bread in Lagos demonstrates that hunger experienced by the masses is out of control and the government has 50% of the blame. The stampede is not the fault of the organizers in its entirety; they are also overwhelmed with turnouts of beneficiaries. The government should own up to their responsibility to avoid these occurrences.