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Two Die In Stampede Over Tinubu’s Ramadan Gifts

Published

10 years ago

July 3, 2016

Two elderly women died on Saturday in a violent struggle for Ramadan gifts distributed on behalf of a former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, at Onikan Stadium in the state.

Sunday Punch learnt that a middle-aged man fainted in the commotion, while several others were injured during the distribution by the Iyaloja General of Nigeria and Tinubu’s daughter, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo.

The Lagos State Police Command, however, said no deaths were recorded from the stampede.

Each gift pack was said to have included a package of rice, salt, noodles and sugar, as well as a sum of N1,500 contained in an envelope, which were given to each person.

It was learnt that the injured were rushed to the Marina General Hospital, while corpses of the deceased women, who were said to be in their sixties, were deposited at the hospital’s morgue.

An eyewitness, Musbau Adeyanju, who spoke with Punch on the telephone on Saturday evening, said a crowd had besieged the stadium around 8am to collect the gifts, with males and females maintaining separate queues.

He said the exercise was smooth until around 11.30am when it was disrupted by some impatient persons.

Adeyanju said, “We started entering the stadium with a pass as early as 8am. The distribution started at 10am and each person was collecting a bag containing rice, semovita, noodles, sugar and salt and a sum of N1,500. It was Iyaloja General that represented Asiwaju.

“Around 11.30am, people became impatient for the fear that the gifts might not get to them. There was a stampede and two persons died in the process. Their bodies were laid under a tent, while an ambulance that would carry them was being awaited. It was when the clothes that were used to cover their faces were removed that I discovered they were elderly women.

“Their bodies were eventually taken to the mortuary by an ambulance of the Lagos State Ambulance Services. Several people were also injured. I left the place after the women died.”

Another eyewitness, who identified himself only as Idris, said some hoodlums cashed in on the stampede to dispossess people of their valuables.

“Initially, the programme was well organised. A gate was opened for males and another for females. Suddenly, some hoodlums at the stadium started snatching phones from people. It was almost my turn when the distribution was disrupted. The age of the women that died should be around 60,” he said.

An emergency official, who spoke to Punch on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, confirmed that there were casualties during the rampage.

He was, however, silent on whether there were fatalities among the casualties.

“I cannot say whether the casualties involved loss of lives. But some people were rushed to the hospital,” he stated.

General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Michael Akindele, denied knowledge of the deaths.

“LASEMA did not get any report of such,” he said.

The Lagos State Police Command’s spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, said it was only a man who collapsed and was treated on the spot before he was taken to the general hospital for further treatment.

She said, “It was a Ramadan lecture organised by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu but he was not there. He was represented. The place became rowdy during the distribution of gifts and a man collapsed in the process. He was treated inside the ambulance at the stadium and was later taken to the hospital for proper treatment. No death was recorded.”

Related Topics:death die people Ramadam tinubu

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Hashim: Nigeria Is at War, Tinubu Lacks Clear Strategy to End Insecurity

Published

3 weeks ago

July 28, 2026

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Accord Party presidential aspirant Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s approach to tackling insecurity, saying Nigeria is effectively at war but lacks a clear and coordinated strategy to defeat terrorist groups and criminal gangs.

Hashim argued that despite ongoing military operations, terrorists and armed criminal groups continue to dictate the pace of violence in several parts of the country. He maintained that the nation’s security challenges require more than isolated military offensives, calling instead for a comprehensive national strategy backed by strong political leadership.

According to him, Nigeria’s armed forces possess the capacity to restore security if provided with consistent direction, adequate support, and a clearly defined mission. He stressed that defeating insecurity requires improved intelligence gathering, stronger inter-agency coordination, and sustained political commitment.

Hashim further urged the federal government to treat the country’s security situation with greater urgency, warning that prolonged instability could continue to undermine economic growth, investment, and public confidence in government institutions.

His comments come amid ongoing national debate over security policy, even as the Tinubu administration has announced measures including expanding the Nigerian Army and increasing investment in technology and military capabilities to address the country’s security threats.

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President Tinubu Approves Major Road Infrastructure Boost – Reconstruction of Key Federal Roads in Niger State and Extension of Bodo–Bonny Road in Rivers State

Published

6 months ago

February 27, 2026

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In a significant move to enhance connectivity, durability, and economic development across Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given the green light for the immediate reconstruction of three critical federal roads in Niger State, alongside the extension of the strategic Bodo–Bonny Road in Rivers State to link up with the East–West Road.

The three roads in Niger State earmarked for full reconstruction will utilize reinforced concrete pavement to guarantee long-lasting performance and better value for money. The projects include:

Mokwa–Bida Road(approximately 120 km)
Mokwa–Makeri Road (63 km)
Bida–Labata Road (123.5 km)

These upgrades aim to improve transportation efficiency, reduce maintenance costs over time, and support socio-economic activities in the North-Central region.

Additionally, President Tinubu has directed the extension of the Bodo–Bonny Road in Rivers State by connecting it to the East–West Road. This extension will be constructed as a *dual carriageway using concrete pavement and will feature solar-powered street lighting for enhanced safety and sustainability. The initiative is expected to boost access to coastal communities, facilitate trade, and strengthen integration in the Niger Delta area.

This approval underscores the administration’s ongoing commitment to revitalizing legacy infrastructure projects and delivering durable, high-quality road networks nationwide under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

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“Political Hushpuppi” Ugochinyere is one of PDP’s aberrations, he is only cashing out – Wike’s Aide

Published

2 years ago

November 24, 2024

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Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has described House of Representatives member from Ideato North and South Federal Constituency of Imo State, Imo Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu, as a “political hushpuppi” who was produced by part of the aberrations in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that must be made to stop.

Olayinka, who told Ugochinyere to “stop going about masturbating about anything Wike,” admonished him to face the reason for which he was elected into the House of Representatives so that his constituents will stop seeing him as a failure and consistently passing votes of no confidence against him.

While featuring on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Friday, Ugochinyere, had said that the FCT Minister and other G5 Governors like Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, former governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) were determined to destroy the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

However, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, Olayinka said; “This is one of the things you get when people who joined the PDP today are awarded the ticket of the party tomorrow morning. If not for the aberration in the PDP that produced a character like Ugochinyere, someone who only joined the party in 2022 won’t be the one to lecture us about who is loyal to the party and who’s not.

“If PDP had functioned properly, would a ‘political hushpuppi’ like Ugochinyere have gotten the party’s ticket while still in another party? Even till today, as a PDP Rep member, Ugochinyere is still holding on to his Action Peoples Party (APP), using it to cash-out in Rivers State.

“Therefore, we on this side are not bothered because we understand why Ugochinyere must now mount the podium and accuse Wike of playing childish and kindergarten politics. He must satisfy those feeding him from the resources of Rivers State.”

While mocking Ugochinyere for always having an organization to speak for to carry out his political hustle, Olayinka said; “In saner climes, such character would have been arrested, tried and jailed for impersonation.

“When he got to the House of Representatives and there was no title under which his political hushpuppism would continue, he awarded to himself a non-existing title of ‘Spokesperson of Opposition Lawmakers Coalition in the 10th National Assembly,’ claiming to have been so appointed by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP).

“But the questions are, is CUPP a political party with members in the House of Representatives? Where and when was CUPP registered? Apart from the positions of Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip, is there anything like spokesperson of opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly?

“Being a political hustler that he has always been, Ugochinyere, knew that he will be contravening the rules of the National Assembly by allocating to himself, a non-existing position, but he just must have a title to keep his hustle going, and indeed, it has been booming.

“Impersonating as spokesperson of opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives, Ugochinyere has been cashing out in Rivers State in particular. If he is not using his former party, APP, to cash-out, he will be using his amorphous opposition lawmakers to chop from inside the Rivers.”