Senate President Godswill Akpabio has referred to the series of fatal stampedes that occurred across the country in 2024 over free food distribution as “natural disasters”.
“These were unavoidable circumstances; not man-made, but almost natural disasters. Please accept our sympathies on the stampedes that took the lives of very young children in Ibadan and other places in Anambra. It was not limited to just one location”, Akpabio stated, during a visit to President Bola Tinubu in Lagos.
Recall that in December 2024, deadly stampedes at rice distribution centers in Ibadan, Anambra, and Abuja resulted in over 65 deaths, triggering widespread public outrage. Many Nigerians pointed to hunger and poverty as contributing factors to the tragic incidents.
However, the Tinubu-led administration rejected claims that the ongoing economic hardships and food scarcity in the country played a role in the deadly stampedes during the Christmas palliative distribution events.
