Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic stampedes during food distribution events in Maitama, Abuja, and Okija, Anambra State. The incidents, which occurred during charitable drives by private institutions, resulted in multiple deaths and injuries.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the minister praised the intentions of the donors but criticized the poor crowd management that led to the tragedies. She described the events as avoidable and called for urgent reforms to prevent similar occurrences.
“I am deeply pained by the news of stampedes in Abuja and Okija,” the minister said. “As a mother, I understand the pain of losing loved ones in such horrific circumstances. These incidences could have been avoided with proper planning and safety measures.”
Hajiya Sulaiman-Ibrahim extended her condolences to the FCT Minister, His Excellency Nyesom Wike, and the Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Soludo, while calling for thorough investigations into the tragedies.
The minister emphasized the importance of crowd assessment and pre-event planning, including estimating the number of attendees, choosing spacious venues, and scheduling distributions to reduce crowd size.
She also urged organizers of similar events to implement robust safety protocols to minimize risks. “By adopting these measures, we can significantly reduce the likelihood of stampedes during charitable distributions,” she added.
The minister offered prayers for the repose of the deceased and a swift recovery for the injured, reaffirming her commitment to ensuring public safety in future humanitarian efforts
