Amid waves of stampedes that killed over 70 people within a week, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged individuals or groups intending to distribute items at large gatherings to first obtain clearance from relevant state agencies.

In a statement shared on his X handle on Sunday, Mr Sanwo-Olu said this measure is to prevent a recurrence of the fatal stampedes witnessed in Anambra, Ibadan, and Abuja in the past week.

While sympathising with the families of victims of the stampedes across the country, Mr Sanwo-Olu said, “To prevent such occurrences in Lagos State, I urge all individuals or groups intending to distribute items to large gatherings to seek clearance from the Lagos State Safety Commission. The agency is well-equipped to ensure that such events do not turn tragic.”

He added, “The Lagos State Safety Commission has established a partnership with security agencies to ensure effective crowd control at locations with large numbers of people.”

Mr Sanwo-Olu’s statement comes in the wake of fatal stampedes at venues of Christmas palliative distributions in Anambra, Ibadan, and Abuja that claimed nearly 70 lives.

Before Mr Sanwo-Olu’s statement, Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun had warned against unorganised palliative distributions and funfair events.

About 35 children were killed in Ibadan last week while at least 38 people were confirmed dead on Saturday after rice-sharing activities led to stampedes in Anambra and Abuja.