Human rights activist Femi Falana has criticized “official negligence” on the part of Nasarawa State University, following the tragic deaths of two students during a palliative distribution stampede at the school.
In a statement on Sunday, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths and demanded compensation for the families of the victims.
Governor Abdullahi Sule had reportedly ordered the distribution of two 7.5 kg bags of rice and N5,000 to each student of the state university in Keffi, the state capital.
Two students — Grace Danladi and Rose Micheal — lost their lives in the unfortunate incident last Friday, while several others sustained injuries during the stampede ahead of the palliative distribution.
Falana lamented the lack of proper organization during the distribution exercise, attributing the tragedy to this oversight.
“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,” Falana stated.
He further criticized the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof Suleiman Bala, who reportedly blamed the victims’ impatience for the incident.
Falana emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into the allegations of criminal negligence, stressing that the culprits should be prosecuted without delay.
“Considering 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 added.
