AFRIQUECAN: A Senior Advocate of Nigeria – SAN, Femi Falana has called for an investigation into the circumstances that led to the deaths of the two
Students of Nasarawa State University during a palliative distribution stampede in the school.
Grace Danladi and Rose Micheal died in the unfortunate incident, while several others sustained various degrees of injuries during the stampede.
Falana, who demanded compensation for the families of the victims, said that the distribution exercise was not well organised.
“It is unfortunate that the authorities of the University failed to draw any lesson from the recent stampede which claimed the lives of seven persons during the distribution of 25kg bags of rice in Lagos by the Nigeria Customs Service. No doubt, the tragedy would have been averted if the University management had distributed the 7 kg bags of rice to the students through their departments.
“Indeed, there was no justification to have assembled thousands of students without a standby ambulance. As if that was not enough, the university health centre was not equipped to attend to the injured students. Hence, they were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi where two female students were certified dead.
“Having regard to the facts and circumstances of the tragic incident, the Nasarawa State police command should be directed to investigate the allegations of criminal negligence which led to the unfortunate death of the two students.
“The culprits should be prosecuted without delay. In view of the official statement that hoodlums hijacked the distribution exercise, the state government and the university management are required by law to compensate the bereaved families of the two students,” he said.