The organisers of any event with over 250 participants and above anywhere in Lagos State must obtain clearance from the state’s Safety Commission, the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Gbenga Oyerinde made this known at an emergency press briefing organised by the Ministry on Sunday.
The briefing comes on the heels of a spate of stampedes which happened in Abuja, Anambra and Ibadan over the last week.
To forestall stampede in Lagos, the Commissioner called on philanthropists: both corporate and individuals, to liaise with safety agencies in the state to make adequate preparations for crowd control before embarking on any philanthropic gestures and events.
Speaking at the briefing held at the Conference Room of the headquarters of the Lagos Fire Service, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso expressed Governor Babajide Samwo-Olu’s deep concern over tragic events of stampede that led to hundreds of deaths across the country.
Omotoso, who said charity must not become tragic, called on event organisers to ensure all safety protocols were followed, urging everyone to cooperate with the state’s government on emergency management.
He had earlier stated that the briefing became imperative to communicate guidelines to Lagosians and forestall any eventuality or casualty as various social gatherings would be held across the state during the yuletide season, particularly after a reported stage collapse at an event at Sol Beach on Sunday morning.
Stating the need to prevent any tragic event in Lagos State, Oyerinde, the Commissioner for Special Duties said event organisers must first access the Lagos State Safety Commission portal to register their events and obtain a clearance online.
Commissioner Oyerinde called on Lagos residents to always use toll-free emergency lines of 767 and 112 whenever the need arises.
On his part, the Director General of the Lagos Safety Commission, Lanre Mojola said it is a crime punishable under the law for anyone to host an event with over 250 guests without obtaining clearance from the Government.
While stating that the procedure for registration to hold large gatherings had been streamlined and could be done online without members of the public appearing physically at the Commission’s office.
In her remarks at the event witnessed by officials of safety agencies among other stakeholders, Director General and Chief Executive Officer, of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye called for caution on the part of residents especially during the peak period of Harmattan, proactive measures to prevent disasters in markets, homes and organisations. She disclosed that there have been a total of 1749 fire outbreaks in Lagos since the beginning of 2024.
