Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Femi Falana on Sunday attributed the recent stampedes leading to the loss of lives in Nigeria to poverty and criminal negligence.
In a statement, the human rights lawyer urged justice for the deceased and injured victims, highlighting past incidents involving food and cash distributions in the country.
Describing the occurrences as a national tragedy, Falana called for systemic reforms to safeguard the dignity and lives of citizens.
“There is also a sociological dimension to this national shame of episodic loss of lives in stampedes triggered by mass hunger in the land,” Falana said.
“This should not be ignored. It is the unpardonable lack of respect for the dignity of the poor on the part of the members of the middle and upper classes involved in charity.”
He argued that organizers of charitable events should apply decency and demonstrate humanity while distributing food or cash items to the vulnerable.
To the senior lawyer, no elite member invites others to lunch by throwing the food. The class prejudice inherent in the humanitarian culture in Nigeria is worthy of reflection.
“Since the individuals whose criminal negligence led to the avoidable tragedies are members of the ruling class the federal government and state governments have not gone beyond sending condolence messages to the survivors and the family members of the casualties.
“Therefore, the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond has resolved to mobilise lawyers to institute civil suits to ensure that the survivors and family members of the casualties are adequately compensated,” he added.
In the past three days, at least 65 lives have been lost in stampedes during food distribution events in Anambra, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
On Wednesday, over 35 individuals, primarily children tragically died in a stampede at a carnival in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
Similarly, on Saturday, 10 people lost their lives during a stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in the Maitama area of Abuja, where crowds had gathered for a relief distribution event.
The Ibadan carnival organizers reportedly offered free food items to the first 5,000 attendees, drawing a large crowd.
In another tragic incident on the same Saturday, at least 20 people were reported dead in the Ojika community of Anambra following a stampede at a rice and gift-sharing event.