The Yoruba Council Worldwide (Igbimo Apapo Yoruba Lagbaye) has expressed sadness at the untimely death of thirty-five people, mostly children, who lost their lives during a stampede at a children’s Christmas carnival put together by Olori Silekunola Naomi in Ibadan, Oyo State capital on Wednesday.
The group also expressed its grief at Saturday tragedy in Abuja where 10 of the people gathered to receive Christmas palliatives, died in a stampede that occurred at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja; as well as the death of more 22 at Okija community in Anambra who also died in a stampede during an event for the distribution of rice by Obi Jackson the same day.
“In view of these sorrowful and excruciating mournful periods, we commiserate with the families of the departed souls of the innocent children, pregnant women, and other victims of the thriple disasters,” the group said Ina statement by its president, Aare Oladotun Hassan.
“In as much as we blame the organisers of this events for lack of proper protocol and adequate conducts of distributions measures and crowd control mechanisms and crowd, consequently we appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to grant Her Majesty, Queen Naomi Silekunola Ogunwusi, Oriyomi Hamzat and others arrested for the Ibadan mishaps be pardon, and thier case discontinued through the office of the Inspector General of Police and Attorney General of the Federation. For they are remorseful having learnt from their sad experiences.
“We read through their hearts and intentions are for good of the victims, real expression of care and love for the needy necessitated them to go all out to puts smiles on their faces, which turned out to thier eternal life woes and unexpected albatross.
“We call on government officials at all levels, Royal Fathers, Civil Society organizations, community leaders, and non-governmental organizations to work collaboratively towards establishing a comprehensive and organized framework for distributing palliatives henceforth
“We hereby warn groups and organizers of similar events to ensure the involvements of security agencies, health care centres, and Red Cross and Volunteers as negligence on their part should be avoided.
“It will amount to criminal negligence if proper measures are not taken to rectify such future occurrences.
“We therefore implore the Inspector General of Police, DG DSS and other local security agencies to be on high alert and be proactive not be overlook places of large gatherings this festive seasons, as provided for in Sec. 196 of the Penal Code and Sec. 344 of the Criminal Code, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We encourage the general public who would want to benefit from such distributions to take precautions and tread with extreme caution, prioritizing their safety, to avoid unforeseen calamities.”
