By Ebunoluwa Olafusi

President Bola Tinubu has cancelled all his official events in Lagos today in honour of the stampede victims in Abuja and Anambra state.

Ten people, including children, died in a stampede that occurred at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja while an unconfirmed number of residents of Okija community in Anambra lost their lives in a stampede during an event for the distribution of rice on Saturday morning.

In a statement, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said one of Tinubu’s outings included attending the 2024 Lagos Boat Regatta.

He said the president was scheduled to watch the boat parade, organised by the Lagos government, and other activities of the boat regatta from the waterfront of his Queen’s Drive residence in Ikoyi area of the state.

According to the statement, dignitaries, including top officials of the Lagos government and white cap chiefs from the state, were already seated when the president cancelled his appearance following briefings on the tragedies.

The president commiserated with the victims of the incidents and urged states and relevant authorities to immediately enforce strict crowd control measures.

The president noted that it was very disturbing that the events bore a “distressing” resemblance to the recent incident in Ibadan, Oyo state.

Tinubu said local and state authorities should no longer tolerate operational lapses by organisations and corporate bodies involved in charitable and humanitarian activities.

The president prayed for the peaceful repose of innocent Nigerians who died in the stampede and wished a quick recovery to the injured.

”In a season of joy and celebration, we grieve with fellow citizens mourning the painful losses of their loved ones. Our prayers of divine comfort and healing are with them,” Tinubu was quoted as saying.

The president reiterated that these mishaps are avoidable if event planners adhere to necessary safeguards and protocols to ensure pre and post-event safety.

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