At least seven citizens died in Lagos in a stampede during the recent sale of confiscated rice to the public by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). The reoccurrence of such incidents despite past experiences calls to question the nation’s emergency and crowd management strategies, BERTRAM NWANNEKANMA writes.
The Pakuro home of Mrs Susan Ajayi in Obafemi-Owode Local Council of Ogun State was filled last week as sympathisers thronged to console her over the death of her daughter-in-law, Mrs Comfort Funmilayo Adebanjo, who died in a stampede during the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) sale of confiscated rice to citizens at reduced cost to mitigate the food crisis in Lagos.
Mrs Adebanjo of house number 104, Ibidun Street, by Akinhanmi Street, Ojuelegba, was among the seven victims trampled to death while trying to purchase 25kg bags of rice for N10,000, at the NCS office, Yaba.
While a spokesperson for the NCS, Abdullahi Maiwada, reportedly blamed the sad development on the buyers’ impatience, analysts said the incident summarised the fact that the nation is yet to imbibe the critical culture of crowd management as an essential part of everyday living.
According to the analysts, the unfortunate incident could have been avoided if the service was well-grounded in crowd control skills, and paid serious attention to safety measures, even as they also expressed worries about the planned resumption of the distribution without properly addressing gapping challenges.
A town planner, Ameh Kodesoh, who said that crowd control is a critical aspect of event planning that can make, or mar the success of an event, blamed the ugly incident on NCS’s inability to engage professionals who would have strictly followed planning rules during the exercise.
Kodesoh listed the rules to include determining the maximum capacity of event space; ensuring that there are clear pathways for attendees to move around to avoid potential bottlenecks, as well as creating defined areas for attendees and preventing them from wandering into restricted areas.
Others who commented on the development questioned the initiative’s capacity or viability to tackle the country’s worsening food insecurity.
“Interventions in terms of food supply look like a good idea, but there should have been a policy rolled out to define how this will happen,” political analyst, Sam Amadi said.
Deluge of reoccurring episodes
DESPITE past incidents that have claimed innocent lives in the country, event organisers have furthered the ugly trend during sporting and religious events, as well as political rallies where huge crowds are holed into enclosures without adequate consideration for their safety.
Worse still, after each round of the tragedy, everyone returns home to await a future re-enactment of the calamity. Essentially, no lessons have been learnt in the last three to four decades or thereabouts.
One of the most tragic and scandalous cases of poor crowd management was recorded at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, in 1978, during which about 24 people died after a Challenge Cup semi-final match between Shooting Stars of Ibadan, and Bendel Insurance of Benin.
Strangely, managers of the facility put off the floodlights immediately after the match, which was played at night, triggering a rush for the numerous exit points. Unfortunately, some of these entrances/exit points were firmly locked and when people got there, they could no longer turn back as the crowd kept pressing them against the iron steel gates. Those who fell were trampled to death.
To show that no lessons were learnt, years later, when the Super Eagles moved their World Cup qualifier against Zambia to the newly-built stadium Ibom International Stadium, in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, in 2017, there was another crowd trouble, which the number of people feared dead and those injured were disputed.
But during an earlier encounter where the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna played host to a Nations Cup qualifier between the Super Eagles and the Pharaohs of Egypt, fans reportedly climbed the scoreboard, camera stands, and floodlights to watch the match, while some invaded the track after 40,000 fans poured into a stadium built for about 25,000 people.
Under President Goodluck Jonathan, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) organised an interview to recruit 4,556 new hands, but about 19 Nigerian job seekers ended up losing their lives.
In what was adjudged by many as one of the most audacious and exploitative ventures, about 520,000 applicants from all over the country were crammed into stadia nationwide with each of them charged N1,000. The deaths occurred due to stampedes.
In the political sphere, in March 2019, during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s electioneering in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, 14 people reportedly died from a stampede.
On February 7, 2019, five people also lost their lives because of a stampede at the 37,000-capacity Jolly Nyame Stadium, in Jalingo, Taraba State, during Buhari’s reelection rally in the state.
Witnesses said the facility was overcrowded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters who thronged the stadium for the rally.
In Kano, when the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, visited, it was by sheer providence that death was averted after nine people slumped, following another uncontrollable crowd turnout.
In November 2013, no fewer than 28 people were reported dead after crowd trouble that occurred at a crusade ground of the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Uke, in Idemili Local Council of Anambra State.
The event, attended by the then governor, Peter Obi, reportedly attracted a larger crowd than usual, leaving organisers at their wits’ end.It was also the same thing in Benin City, back in 1999, when renowned evangelist, the late Reinhard Bonnke, came calling. No fewer than 14 people were feared dead as people came to hear the German preacher speak at a crusade, which held at a sports facility in the Edo State capital. Despite the number of casualties, more people were said to have turned up again the following day, even when the preacher decided not to attend in honour of the dead.
Experts finger kneejerk reactions, failure of planning
AS far as Dr Edmund Chilaka, who lectures maritime transport and logistics at the University of Lagos Centre for Multimodal Transport Studies is concerned, the needless deaths arising from the rice sales bespeaks of gross planning failure on the part of NCS, and a naive rush to action to please the powers that be.
He said: “The lack of proper planning is becoming prominent in the general attitude and behaviour of the administration, as was first seen during the inauguration speech when an announcement to remove fuel subsidy was made untidily.
“In sum, it also reveals the lack of policy depth by the Tinubu administration of which some have made incisive remarks. Hence, except the government of the day takes seriously the matter of employing sufficiently skilled, experienced, knowledgeable, and competent technocrats into the apparatuses of governance, the crass mistakes of the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, which led to the mismanagement of Nigeria for eight years, with resultant irreparable damages, may be unwittingly repeated by Tinubu despite its best efforts and grandstanding.”
For the National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), Emmanuel Onwubiko, the NCS hierarchy must accept responsibility for the circumstances that led to the unfortunate death of some distressed buyers.
According to him, the NCS only walked a familiar path as it is unbecoming of contemporary public office holders to decline responsibility for their apparent dereliction of duties, or failure to carry out their mandates in line with global best practices.
“I expect that the Nigeria Customs Service should apologise for the shoddy process that characterised the sale of rice to poor residents of Lagos. Were it not for NCS’ inefficient handling of the exercise, these fatalities would have been avoidable. So, the NCS should take responsibility and pay heavy compensation to the families of those who died.
For a certified security expert, Mathew Ibadin, the sad incident highlights significant shortcomings in the nation’s emergency and crowd management strategies.
He said: “Firstly, the response of the Nigerian Customs Service to address food scarcity demonstrates a commendable intent to assist citizens in times of need. However, the tragic outcome of the intervention reveals a lack of effective planning and execution in managing such situations. The failure to anticipate the potential for overcrowding and chaos during the distribution process indicates a critical oversight in risk assessment and preparedness.
“The stampede resulting in casualties is reminiscent of similar incidents that occurred during the distribution of COVID-19 palliatives in various parts of the country. These events reflect a recurring pattern of inadequate crowd control measures and logistical planning, indicating systemic weaknesses in Nigeria’s emergency response mechanisms. The failure to learn from past mistakes and implement corrective measures suggests a fundamental flaw in the nation’s approach to crisis management.
“One of the key lessons from these incidents is the importance of proactive planning and coordination among relevant government agencies. Effective emergency response requires comprehensive risk assessment, scenario planning, and coordination of resources to ensure the safety and well-being of citizens.
“This includes establishing clear protocols for crowd management, ensuring adequate security measures are in place, and implementing robust communication strategies to disseminate information effectively.”
“Furthermore, there is a pressing need for enhanced training and capacity-building initiatives for emergency responders and law enforcement agencies. Properly trained personnel equipped with the necessary skills and tools are essential for managing crises efficiently and minimizing the risk of casualties. Investing in training programs focused on crowd control, conflict resolution, and emergency medical response can significantly improve the effectiveness of emergency operations.
Learning from past blunders, improving crowd management strategies
THE United Kingdom, which also used to have a lot of crowd trouble, especially during football matches, has since negotiated the curve seamlessly thereby reducing the menace drastically.
When 96 fans of Liverpool Football Club died in a 1989 FA Cup semifinal match against Nottingham Forest, it took 28 years to get the culprits. Within that period, the investigation did not cease and the victims’ families did not lose hope. Initially, drunken fans were blamed for the deaths. However, it was eventually established that poor crowd management in an overcrowded, fenced-in enclosure at the Hillsborough Stadium was at fault. Police chief, David Duckenfield, was held responsible 28 years after for “failure to discharge his responsibility.”
Right now, in the UK, crowd trouble leading to death is no longer a regular occurrence. Consequently, Ibadin said that Nigerian law enforcement agencies must also learn to hold people accountable for needless deaths arising from crowd troubles.
“The Nigerian government must take decisive action to reform its emergency and crowd management strategies to address these challenges effectively. This should include conducting a comprehensive review of existing policies and procedures, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing targeted reforms to enhance preparedness and response capabilities.
“In conclusion, the recent tragedy highlights critical deficiencies in the nation’s emergency and crowd management strategies. By learning from past mistakes, implementing reforms, and prioritizing the safety and well-being of citizens, Nigeria can build more resilient and effective emergency response mechanisms.
“The government must take urgent action to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future and to ensure the protection of its citizens during times of crisis,” he added.
Also, human rights lawyer and former national president of the Committee for Defense of Human Rights (CDHR), Malachy Ugwumadu, wants the government to rise to the occasion against the backdrop of realities of the moment, develop an effective and efficient emergency and crowd management policy and strategy, which must take into account the ever-growing population of Nigeria and the limited infrastructure available.
According to him, “Government must be deliberate about this even in their choices of the appointments and operators of these agencies.
“Finally Government should, without prompting, adequately compensate the unfortunate victims according to the degree of their losses.
“Otherwise, families, friends, next-of-kins even human rights organisations or associations are empowered by the Constitution through the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2019 to seek redress and enforce their rights protected under Sections 33 & 34 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) as well as under the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights,” he added.
