Stampedes: Police warn against disorganised distribution of palliatives

By Paul Dada

The Nigeria Police Force has cautioned against the unorganised distribution of palliatives to vulnerable Nigerians during the yuletide season.

Speaking to journalists on Saturday through the  Police through the Force PRO,  Olumuyiwa Adejobi, was reacting to loss of lives recorded in palliatives sharing stampedes that occurred in Ibadan on Thursday, Okija and Abuja on Saturday.

Adejobi  said, “In light of these developments, the IGP has called on government officials, community leaders, and non-governmental organizations to work collaboratively towards establishing a comprehensive and organized framework for distributing palliatives.

“The IGP has hereby warned groups and organizers of similar events to ensure the involvement of security agencies as negligence on their part is criminal and would not be overlooked, as provided for in Sec. 196 of the Penal Code and Sec. 344 of the Criminal Code, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In addition, the IGP has encouraged the general public who would want to benefit from such distributions to tread with caution, prioritizing their safety, to avoid unforeseen calamities.”

He said that the IGP had directed  the commissioners of police in the states where the stampedes happened to do thorough investigations.