Niger Stampede: Atiku mourns three dead, demands answers
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed grief over the deaths of three people in a stampede at the Niger State Government House, following reports that ₦10,000 would be distributed to members of the crowd.
In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said the victims should be remembered as individuals with families and futures rather than reduced to statistics.
“Three Nigerians reportedly went to a Government House and did not return home. I mourn them with their families. I pray for those who were injured and call for their immediate care,” Atiku said.
He said the incident reflected the economic pressure facing Nigerian households, but argued that government assistance should be organised in a manner that prioritises public safety.
“That people would rush towards the possibility of ₦10,000 tells us something painful about the pressure on Nigerian households. But desperation must never be met with a distribution arrangement that puts lives at risk,” he said.
“Help offered in the name of government must be organised with dignity and with the safety of the people as its first concern.”
Atiku called on the Niger State Government to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and publish an account of how the gathering was announced and managed.
He also urged the government to provide support to the bereaved families and those injured in the incident.
“There must be no attempt to blame the victims for seeking help. The question for those in authority is how three lives came to be lost at the gates of government, and what will be done to ensure it never happens again,” he said.
Atiku said the incident should prompt broader reflection on the economic conditions facing Nigerians.
“As Nigeria approaches Independence Day, this tragedy demands more than condolences. A nation cannot call itself prosperous while its citizens risk their lives for ₦10,000. We must make life affordable again and treat every Nigerian life as precious,” he said.
