•IG orders probe, Peter Obi blames systemic failure
No fewer than 39 Nigerians have lost their lives following stampedes during food-sharing events in Okija, Anambra State, and Maitama, Abuja, on Saturday, Sunday TheNigerian can confirm.
In the struggle to get ahead and obtain the free food items distributed by organisers, the residents trampled upon one another, leading to the deaths.
While 10 residents died in Abuja, 29 were reported killed in Anambra.
These stampedes are coming days after a similar incident occurred in Ibadan, Oyo State, where 35 children lost their lives and several others were left critically injured during a funfair.
The funfair was held on December 18, 2024, at the Islamic High School in the Bashorun district of Ibadan.
10 killed in Abuja
In the Saturday Abuja stampede, 10 persons were confirmed dead at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, Abuja, where the outreach was held.
Sunday TheNigerian gathered that the incident occurred around 6am during an annual charity event organised by parishes of the Catholic Church to distribute foodstuffs to the poor and the vulnerable in the community.
An eyewitness, who identified himself as John, said the crowd remained orderly until around 5am.
He said, “Many people came from Mararaba, Nyanya, and Mpape areas to benefit from the church’s food distribution.
“To be honest, the church didn’t anticipate the size of the crowd that showed up. Although there were two security operatives on duty, they couldn’t manage the growing crowd effectively.
“Initially, everyone was orderly, but as the day broke, the number of people doubled. In their desperation to get the rice first, people began pushing and shoving. Before we knew it, we started hearing cries for help from those who had fallen or sustained injuries. The police came to rescue those injured and dispersed others who waited behind with the hope that the distribution would continue.”
The National Director of Social Communications at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Reverend Father Mike Umoh, expressed sadness at the incident, stating that the parish might have been overwhelmed by the large turnout.
He noted that the church had never experienced such an occurrence in the years since the outreach began.
He said the sad event should be a signal to other organisers to be more careful and implement better crowd control measures.
Confirming the deaths, Umoh said, “Yes, it is true that a sad incident was recorded in the process of the charity outreach of the parish today at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama.
“It is good to know that in almost every parish in Nigeria, especially the viable parishes, this exercise has always been on, and the people who go are aware. The beneficiaries usually look out to know the day.
“In fact, they begin to inform one another about it. This exercise is usually taken up by the social arm of the church known as the Justice and Peace Development. They coordinate it on behalf of every parish. So it’s something that has been on for years.”
Umoh also noted that the stampede pointed to the state of the nation and the hunger in the country.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the FCT Command, SP Josephine Adeh, said 10 persons died in the incident, while eight others were injured and had been taken to a hospital for treatment.
Similarly, the Head of Public Affairs of the FCT Emergency Management Department, Nkechi Isa, in a statement, confirmed the incident, adding that 10 persons were injured.
“The stampede occurred while the church was distributing palliatives to the less privileged members of society. The unfortunate event occurred at 6:30 am today,” the statement partly read.
29 die in Anambra
No fewer than 29 persons have been reported dead and many others injured during a stampede that occurred at the gate of the Charity Event at the Obijackson Centre in Amanranta, Okija, Ihiala LGA of Anambra State.
Sunday TheNigerian gathered that the stampede, which occurred at the venue of the sharing of palliatives, including 25kg bags of rice, vegetable oil, and money, was a result of poor crowd control.
It was learnt that the victims, particularly elderly women and children, were trampled upon as they struggled to gain entrance amid a large and uncontrollable crowd.
One of our correspondents, who was at the scene, observed that many shoes and slippers belonging to the victims were littered on the ground in front of the gate as security operatives battled to control the surging crowd, who were still forcing their way onto the premises.
Despite the stampede and the tragic incident, the sharing of palliatives continued, with beneficiaries going home with 25kg bags of rice, vegetable oil, noodles, and cash gifts from the foundation.
The palliatives were being donated by a notable member of the community, Chief Ernest Obiejesi (Obijackson), on behalf of the Obijackson Foundation.
This is an annual exercise by the foundation to celebrate Christmas with the people of the community.
Eyewitnesses at the venue said many who collapsed were rushed to hospital, while those who died were taken to the morgue.
They added that a woman lay dead in front of the gate with her baby before the arrival of her husband.
An eyewitness, who asked not to be identified, said, “The stampede occurred at about 7.45am as the gate of the arena was about to be opened because many struggled to gain entrance. Many people, particularly the elderly and children, were trampled upon. Many collapsed and were critically injured, while some died before being rushed to hospital.
“A woman was lying dead in front of the gate with her little child strapped to her back. Fortunately, the child was still alive. The husband was called upon, but when he arrived, he took the child away and left the scene.
“The cause of this is poverty and the high cost of rice. If it were not so, this unfortunate incident would not have happened. Look at how goodwill has turned into a tragedy; it’s unfortunate.”
Another source at the scene said the crowd became uncontrollable as security operatives tried to manage them, which led to the stampede.
He said, “The crowd at the gate was just too much to control, and it took reinforcement by security operatives before normalcy was restored. I counted over 10 lifeless bodies as they were being taken into ambulances provided by the organisers.
“The deceased victims were taken to the morgue by ambulances provided by the foundation, while the injured victims were taken to various nearby hospitals for treatment. We gathered that the morgue could not accommodate all the lifeless bodies brought there.”
Reacting to the development, the Obijackson Foundation bemoaned the incident and commiserated with the bereaved families, as well as the state Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo.
A top member of the foundation, who craved anonymity, said the foundation expressed deep sorrow over the tragic incident that occurred during its annual rice-sharing event at the Amaranta Stadium in Okija on Saturday morning.
Anambra confirms tragedy
The Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, confirmed the incident.
He said, “As a government we demonstrated concern when we got the report of the incident. We sent a fact-finding team to the scene after we saw a viral video of the stampede, which we thought was fake news. However, our team confirmed it. The government is deeply saddened by this tragedy and condoles with families who lost their loved ones.”
Mefor declined to give the number of casualties, saying investigations were ongoing.
But a senior government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he “personally confirmed 29 dead bodies.”
“And many more are still in critical conditions in different hospitals across the state,” the source added.
Police confirm three deaths
Also reacting, the Anambra State Police Command Spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said police operatives took over the scene to avert further unforeseen circumstances.
Ikenga said, “Preliminary information revealed that a known philanthropist from the Okija community, on his yearly schedule, shares some palliatives with the members of the community to provide succour to the less privileged.
“Unfortunately, before the event could start, a large number of uncontrolled persons took over the event area, which resulted in a stampede.
“Though the details of the affected persons are still sketchy, police operatives have taken over the scene for proper investigation. Further details shall be communicated.”
When pressed further, Ikenga said about three persons were confirmed dead, and some injured victims were receiving treatment at hospital.
“For now, we have three confirmed dead, and police operatives are currently visiting the hospitals for enquiries and details even for the injured,” he added.
Tinubu cancels public engagements
Reacting to the tragedies, President Bola Tinubu cancelled all his official events in Lagos on Saturday, including his attendance at the 2024 Lagos Boat Regatta to mourn the stampede victims in Abuja and Okija, Anambra.
Tinubu was scheduled to watch the boat parade and other activities of the Boat Regatta from the waterfront of his Queen’s Drive residence in Ikoyi, his spokesman, Mr Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement.
Dignitaries, including top officials of the Lagos State Government and chiefs from the state, were already seated when the president cancelled his appearance following briefings on the tragedies.
Commiserating with the victims of the incidents in Anambra and the FCT, Tinubu urged states and relevant authorities to enforce strict crowd control measures immediately.
Tinubu said the two tragic incidents bore a distressing resemblance to the recent incident in Ibadan, Oyo State.
He said local and state authorities should no longer tolerate operational lapses by organisations and corporate bodies involved in charitable and humanitarian activities.
Stampede a reflection of poverty – Obi
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, also mourned victims of the stampedes, describing the development as a reflection of poverty and systemic failure.
Obi, in a tweet on his official X handle on Saturday, said the desperate quest for survival in the harsh economy drove the people to the extremes in search of food at the cost of their lives.
He said, “While I will not cast blame, but instead appreciate the organisers of these respective events for their kind gestures in providing palliatives and support to society, especially the poor, these tragedies reflect the systemic failures that plague our society.”
IG orders probe
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, expressed deep concerns over the unorganised distribution of palliatives and relief items across Nigeria during the festive period.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Saturday, the Force Spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the IG had ordered the Commissioners of Police in the affected states to investigate the deaths for possible legal actions.
He said, “The IG emphasised the dangers posed to public safety during these unorganized distributions and funfairs set up by groups, individuals and NGOs, including the potential for stampedes and other incidents that could endanger lives. The lack of a well-defined plan for distributing palliatives has resulted in chaos, leading to long lines and unnecessary confrontations among citizens seeking assistance.
“In light of these developments, the IGP has called on government officials, community leaders, and non-governmental organisations to work collaboratively towards establishing a comprehensive and organized framework for distributing palliatives.
“The IGP has ordered commissioners of the affected states to carry out thorough investigations into these ugly incidents for further legal actions. The Inspector-General of Police, therefore, sympathises with the bereaved families and wishes those injured a quick recovery.”
He stated that the organisers of this charity are liable for criminal offences, citing relevant provisions in Nigeria’s Penal and Criminal Codes.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Mrs Zubaida Umar, has called for proper crowd management during distribution of palliatives to prevent stampedes and avoidable loss of lives.
In a statement by the agency on Saturday, Umar expressed concerns that such tragic outcomes undermined the goodwill behind charity events, turning acts of kindness into sources of grief due to poor planning and crowd control.
Lagos govt sends condolences
The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, also sympathised with Nigerians, particularly residents of Anambra State and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, following two reports of stampede, which claimed many lives and left many others injured at Abuja and Okija, Anambra State.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, in a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, also extended his condolences to the families who lost their loved ones during the sad events.
