Stampede: Lagos Govt Reads Riot Act To Event Organisers

Lagos State government has warned prospective event managers to ensure strict safety compliance during this yuletide season and beyond. Anyone who fails to prioritise safety will face the wrath of the law.

The government said it is doing everything to prevent accidents in public places and urged residents to prioritise safety at all times.

Speaking at a joint press conference organised with the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, the state’s commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, said the move became necessary following stampede incidents in some parts of the country and a reported stage collapse at a beach event in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Omotoso called on event organisers to prepare for crowd control before embarking on philanthropic gestures and events to forestall stampedes.

He explained that henceforth, Individuals, religious and corporate bodies that wish to hold any event in the state must register with the Lagos State Safety Commission or face the full wrath of the law.

“We are here for the governor to tell Lagosians that he feels concerned about the report of a stampede in some parts of the country and will not want such a thing to happen here in Lagos. In Lagos state, we have adequate preparations for every big event, and we do so every year. We used to have the Greater Lagos Fiesta; this year, we added a Boat Regatta and others.

“Unfortunately, we got a report that a stage collapsed during a Sol Beach Victoria Island show. Fortunately, nobody died in that incident. This has made us say we do not want the matter to disappear.

“To prevent such occurrences in Lagos State, all individuals or groups that intend to hold an event or distribute any items at all to large gatherings of people are advised to seek clearance from the Safety Commission,” he said.

Omotoso maintained that the Lagos Safety Commission partners with security agencies that are well-equipped to control crowds and will connect individuals and groups to the appropriate agencies for proper operational event management.

He added, “Any act of charity should not turn tragic for our people. So, to those who feel that the government is doing this for nothing and can gather a crowd and begin distributing items, and a huge crowd beefs up, and tragic incidents happen, the person will have himself or herself to blame.”

For his part, the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr Gbenga Oyerinde, urged Lagos residents to be their brother’s keeper by monitoring what happens in their environment. He also urged them always to call the toll-free numbers 767 and 112 in an emergency.

Speaking on safety measures, the Director General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr Lanre Mojola, said that the state has been conscious of residents’ safety in the past years, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic.