The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has expressed profound grief over the tragic stampedes that claimed about 70 lives and left scores injured during the distribution of empowerment palliatives in Ibadan, Okija, and Abuja.

In a statement released on Sunday, Minority Leader Rep.Kingsley Chinda described the incidents as “heartbreaking and heartrending,” lamenting the loss of children, nursing mothers, women, and the elderly.

He emphasised that these deaths occurred as vulnerable citizens sought basic sustenance amid the yuletide season.

“These victims paid the supreme price in their search for food,” the statement read. “It is pathetic and dehumanising that such avoidable tragedies have become frequent in a nation grappling with corrosive hunger and debilitating poverty.”

The Caucus attributed the stampedes to the worsening economic situation, which has driven millions of Nigerians into penury. The lawmakers noted with concern that desperation for survival has turned palliative distribution events into dangerous crowd gatherings, drawing global attention to the nation’s economic challenges.

Calling for urgent intervention, the Minority Caucus urged the Federal Government and other agencies to scale up and improve empowerment programmes. It stressed the need to ensure that relief materials reach the most vulnerable citizens, while also advocating for better crowd management, robust security arrangements, and medical services at distribution points.

As the Caucus commiserated with the families of the deceased and empathised with those injured, it reiterated the necessity of coordinated action to prevent a recurrence. “We must ensure that such incidents never happen again,” the statement concluded.

Rep. Chinda called on government agencies, politicians, religious organisations, and social groups to adopt foolproof measures in organising palliative distribution events, particularly during critical periods.

The tragedies in Ibadan, Okija, and Abuja have left the nation mourning as calls for decisive and realistic actions to address hunger intensify.