Ilorin Sallah stampede
{{Short description|2013 crowd crush in Ilorin, Nigeria}}
The Ilorin Sallah stampede was a crowd crush that occurred at Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, North-central Nigeria on Eid al-Fitr (Sallah day) at the end of Ramadan in 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.nigerianbulletin.com/threads/sallah-gifts-stampede-claims-10-lives-at-sarakis-house.12443/|title=Metro - Sallah gifts' stampede claims 10 lives at Saraki's house|work=Nigerian Bulletin|accessdate=July 30, 2015}} The crush resulted in the death of 20 people and left several others severely injured.{{cite web|url=http://www.informationng.com/2013/10/kwara-sallah-stampede-death-toll-rises-to-20-as-saraki-expresses-sadness-over-incident.html|title=Kwara Sallah stampede: Death toll rises to 20 as Saraki expresses sadness over incident|work=Information Nigeria|accessdate=30 July 2015}} Four people died the first day, and 16 more over the next few days. The incident occurred on 16 October 2013 at Senator Bukola Saraki's house. Saraki is the two-term governor of Kwara State and the former President of the Senate of Nigeria.{{cite web|url=http://encomium.ng/ilorin-sallah-tragedy-bukola-saraki-still-in-shock-as-death-toll-rises/|title=Ilorin Sallah tragedy, Bukola Saraki still in shock as death toll rises|work=Economium Nigeria|accessdate=July 30, 2015}}
Background
Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki's father, the late Alhaji Abubakar Olusola Saraki, was a philanthropist who often gave food and clothing to the needy, especially at the Eid al-Fitr celebrations at the end of Ramadan. Saraki gave rice, chicken and sometimes money to the widows, the aged, and the poor before his death on November 14, 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.theheraldnews.info/kwasu-documenting-dr-olusola-sarakis-philanthropic-history|title=KWASU: Documenting Dr. Olusola Saraki's philanthropic history|work=The Herald News|accessdate=June 21, 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621171031/http://www.theheraldnews.info/kwasu-documenting-dr-olusola-sarakis-philanthropic-history|archivedate=June 21, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/11/how-olusola-saraki-lost-battle-to-cancer-son/|title=How Olusola Saraki lost battle to cancer – Son|work=Vanguard News|accessdate=June 21, 2015}} On every Sallah day, thousands of people would queue at his residence at the Government Reservation Area, Ilorin, Kwara State, to receive the annual gifts.{{cite web|url=http://www.punchng.com/feature/nations-capital/pilgrimage-to-sarakis-house-causes-gridlock-anger/|title=Pilgrimage to Saraki's house causes gridlock, discomfort|work=The Punch News|accessdate=June 21, 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621044558/http://www.punchng.com/feature/nations-capital/pilgrimage-to-sarakis-house-causes-gridlock-anger/|archivedate=June 21, 2015}}
Following the death of Alhaji Olusola Saraki, his son Bukola Saraki decided to continue this philanthropic act on every Sallah day. This philanthropic act was aimed at providing succour to the needy in Kwara.
Previous incidents
This was not the first time that crush events had occurred at his residence.{{cite web|url=http://www.gongnews.net/15-women-children-died-in-stampede-at-sarakis-ilorin-residence/|title=15 women, children died in stampede at Saraki's Ilorin residence|work=gongnews.net|accessdate=June 21, 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621165911/http://www.gongnews.net/15-women-children-died-in-stampede-at-sarakis-ilorin-residence/|archivedate=June 21, 2015}} A similar crush occurred on November 17, 2010, during his campaign for election as a member of the 7th National Assembly, and at least eleven of his campaigners died.{{cite web|url=http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/146959-cover-police-order-dpo-hands-probe-saraki-stampede-deaths.html|title=Cover-up as police order DPO to hands off probe of Saraki|work=Premium Times Nigeria|accessdate=June 21, 2015}} On May 27, 2011, during his inauguration ceremony, 25 people were reported dead following distributions of clothing and money to his electoral supporters.{{cite web|url=http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/kwara-stampede-death-toll-rises-to-25/92227/|title=Kwara stampede: Death toll rises to 25|work=THISDAY LIVE|accessdate=June 21, 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621171107/http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/kwara-stampede-death-toll-rises-to-25/92227/|archivedate=June 21, 2015}}
A spokesperson has said that although some in the press had blamed the deaths on the disorderly behaviour of the crowds, efforts would be made to improve the distribution of the gifts. Since then, they have kept to their word.