Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed sadness over the reported deaths of three people in a stampede at the Niger State Government House, Minna.
The stampede reportedly occurred after a crowd gathered at the Government House amid plans to distribute N10,000 to youths.
In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said the victims should not be reduced to statistics but remembered as people with families and aspirations.
“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 reported rush for the N10,000 reflected the economic pressure facing many Nigerian households.
“That people would rush towards the possibility of N10,000 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. Help offered in the name of government must be organised with dignity and with the safety of the people as its first concern,” he said.
Atiku called on the Niger State Government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths and publish an account of how the gathering was organised and managed.
He also urged the government to provide support to the families of the deceased 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 the country prepares to mark its Independence Day.
“As Nigeria approaches Independence Day, this tragedy demands more than condolences. A nation cannot call itself prosperous while its citizens risk their lives for N10,000.
“We must make life affordable again and treat every Nigerian life as precious,” he said.
