A Nigerian pastor, Femi Emmanuel, acknowledges the hunger in Nigeria but believes that the way people are reacting to it is exaggerated.
He made this statement in response to the recent Ibadan stampede at a children’s funfair, where thirty-five children tragically lost their lives.
While preaching at his church, Emmanuel said, “Can I say this to you, you may not believe it, whether you believe it or not. Yes, there is hunger in Nigeria but the way people are going about it, it’s exaggerated. Go and find out. Many of those that were trampled over in Ibadan, many of those women have houses, they have shops but once they hear free thighs, it’s an affliction. A woman brought nine children. She must have gone to solicit for her neighbour’s children. The greed is a spirit. Yes, people are hungry. I have been there. I see them but it is exaggerated.”
Emmanuel pointed out that many of the women involved in the stampede own homes and businesses, yet they rushed for free food, which he described as a form of greed.
He emphasized that while hunger is real in Nigeria, the manner in which people are responding to it is overblown. He encouraged the audience to look deeper into the situation, suggesting that other factors beyond mere deprivation may influence people’s reactions.
