Falana Threatens Organisers Of Food Palliatives Distribution With Law Suit 

… Condemns Nigerian Elites For Treating Poor People Badly 

By Joseph Sunday 

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Barrister Femi Falana, SAN, has threatened the recent organisers of food palliatives distribution which resulted into stampedes, loss of lives and got many injured and hospitalised across the major parts of the Country like Ibadan, Abuja and Okija in Anambra with civil law suit and condemned the Nigerian elites for treating the poor people badly and with disdain. 

Falana in his words expressed discomfort on the loss of over 105 lives in stampedes during food and cash distribution events in Nigeria, attributing the tragedies to “poverty-induced neoliberal economic policies” and “criminal negligence.”

In a statement released on Sunday, Falana, who chairs the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), detailed the incidents and called for justice.

“These tragic events are a national shame,” he said. “The victims were not just statistics but human beings driven to desperation by systemic poverty and the gross incompetence of those entrusted with their safety.”

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The latest tragedies occurred on December 21, 2024. In Okija, Anambra State, 12 people died, and 32 others were injured during a scramble for rice distributed by a philanthropist.

On the same day, a stampede at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, Abuja, claimed 10 lives, including children, as over 3,000 people jostled for palliatives.

Two days earlier, on December 19, 35 children were crushed to death at a Christmas funfair in Ibadan, Oyo State.

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The tragedy unfolded as the event began at Islamic High School, Basorun. “The loss of these innocent lives is heart-wrenching,” Falana said.

“It underscores the indignity that poverty imposes on our people.”

Falana criticised the elite for their treatment of the poor during such events.

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“No member of the elite invites others to lunch by throwing the food,” he remarked, condemning what he described as “class prejudice” in humanitarian aid distribution.

The Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond announced plans to mobilise lawyers to pursue civil suits against organisers of these events.

“We will ensure survivors and families of the deceased are adequately compensated,” Falana said.

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“Those responsible for these avoidable tragedies must be held accountable.”

He also called on the government to take decisive action to prevent further loss of lives.

“Enough is enough!” he declared. “These events reflect the harsh realities of inequality in our nation and the urgent need for systemic reforms to protect the dignity and lives of our citizens.”

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Falana’s statement serves as a rallying cry for justice and reform, spotlighting Nigeria’s deepening poverty crisis and the human cost of neglect.

Credit: Hope Newspaper 

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