Femi Falana Blames Police for Food Stampede Deaths, Calls for Social Security Reforms

Renowned human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has criticized the Nigerian Police Force for its role in the tragic deaths of 115 Nigerians during recent food stampedes in Ibadan, Abuja, and Okija, Anambra State.

Falana made this assertion during a public lecture in Akure, the Ondo State capital, organized to honor the late former governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. The event, the first in a lecture series, was titled “Security Sector Reform in Promoting Peace, Stability, and Development: The Ondo State Example.”

Addressing the audience, Falana said the stampedes occurred due to police negligence in performing their constitutional duties.

“The deaths of 115 Nigerians in the recent incidents in Ibadan, Abuja, and Okija are unacceptable,” he stated. “The police failed to protect the people, and I hold them responsible. The government must pay compensation to the families who lost their loved ones because of these failures.”

Also Read: Anambra Rice Sharing Stampede: 22 Confirmed Dead

Falana urged the Nigerian government to tackle the root causes of social insecurity, citing the alarming rates of poverty, unemployment, hunger, and illiteracy in the country. He emphasized that without social security measures, achieving physical security for citizens would remain a distant goal.

Falana also praised the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for his commitment to justice and the security of Ondo State. He highlighted Akeredolu’s pivotal role in establishing Amotekun, a regional security outfit, which has made Ondo State a model for security reforms in Nigeria.

“Today, all 36 state governors have come together to approve state police, but it was Akeredolu who laid the groundwork by enacting the law that legitimized Amotekun. That singular action has made Ondo State the most peaceful state in Nigeria,” Falana noted.

He called for the preservation of Akeredolu’s legacy, urging the government and people of Ondo State to sustain his vision of peace and development.