• Eye witnesses narrate grim scenes • Tinubu cancels official events in Lagos • CSOs blame govt for weaponising hunger ■ • Sanwo-Olu commiserates with Makinde over Ibadan incident • Abuja police halt future event if not notified
From Godwin Tsa, Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Fred Ezeh (Abuja), Emmanuel Uzor (Awka), Kenneth Udeh (Okija)
Agale of tragedies swept through the country yesterday following claiming 30 lives in Abuja and Anambra State and injuring scores in a stampede as the victims struggled for Christmas rice and other commodities.
In Okija, Anambra State, what was intended to be part of efforts to ameliorate the hard economic realities facing Nigerians turned to a tragedy that claimed 20 persons, leaving several others injured.
The disaster took place during an early morning stampede at Chief Earnest Azudialo Obiejesi, popularly known as Obi Jackson during the distribution of Christmas palliatives: rice and other consumables.
Sunday Sun reports that among the casualties were widows, nursing mothers, a pregnant woman and children.
In Abuja, an annual Christmas food sharing event organised yesterday by the Society of Saint Vincent De Paul of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, Abuja, also ended in a tragedy following the death of ten persons.
It was a charity event that usually draws less privileged persons from Mpape, Gishiri and other neighbouring settlements.
Following the twin incidents, President Bola Tinubu cancelled all his official events in Lagos including his attendance at the 2024 Lagos Boat Regatta in honour of the stampede victims.
Commiserating with the victims of the unfortunate incidents in Anambra and the Federal Capital Territory, he urged states and relevant authorities to enforce strict crowd-control measures immediately.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President 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.
Onanuga noted that President Tinubu opted that it was very disturbing that the events at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, and a Community Centre in Okija, Anambra State, 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.
While praying for the peaceful repose of innocent Nigerians who died in the stampede, President Tinubu wished a quick recovery to the injured.
He reiterated that those mishaps were avoidable if event planners adhered to necessary safeguards and protocols to ensure pre- and post-event safety.
“In a season of joy and celebration, we grieve with fellow citizens mourning the painful losses of their loved ones. Our prayers of divine comfort and healing are with them,” he said.
Speaking in like manner, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, sympathised with his Oyo State counterpart, Engr. Seyi Makinde, and the people of Oyo State over the tragic stampede that occurred during a children’s carnival at Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan, which claimed 35 lives.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, in a condolence letter he personally signed and addressed to Governor Seyi Makinde entitled “Letter of Condolence – Christmas Stampede Tragedy,” described the incident as devastating and offered prayers for the families affected by the tragedy.
He also condoled with Nigerians, particularly the residents of Anambra State and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, following the two reports of stampede, which claimed many lives and left many others injured.
He said the two tragedies happening a few days after 35 people died in Ibadan during a children’s carnival were worrisome and called for concern.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, in a statement issued yesterday 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.
Sanwo-Olu, who wished the injured a quick recovery, also sympathised with President Bola Tinubu, the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike, over the ugly incidents.
Similarly, the Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, has expressed shock and sadness over the death and injuries at the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s food-sharing event.
Archbishop Kaigama, in also in a statement, yesterday, described the tragedy as a devastating blow to the Christian community.
He explained that St. Vincent de Paul Society’s selfless efforts to support the poor and vulnerable have been a testament to the Catholic Church’s commitment to serving the least among them, but unfortunately that one ended on a sad note.
He said: “I, on behalf of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, mourn the tragic loss of lives and those injured at the sad event. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased and injured. May God grant them the strength and comfort them during this difficult time.
“It’s important that we come together as a community to pray for the souls of the departed, for the healing of the injured, and for the consolation of all those affected by this tragedy.
“May we find solace in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted’ (Matthew 5:4).
Meanwhile, some Civil Society Organisations have bemoaned the trend, blaming the string of developments to worsening hanger in the land and government policies that have weaponised hunger.
Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), blamed the stampedes in Ibadan, Anambra and Abuja on worsening hunger crisis the country.
According to a statement issued by Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, hunger and desperation are devastating impact of poor governance and an inadequate response to rising poverty levels.
Reacting to the tragic stampedes that claimed dozens of lives across the country during food distribution events, Rafsanjani described the incidents as heartbreaking reflections of the severe hardship Nigerians are enduring.
“This is a clear indication that Nigerians are facing very difficult times under this administration,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the government appears detached from the realities on the ground and has failed to take the necessary steps to address a situation they helped to escalate. While these tragic incidents have been reported, many more may be occurring unnoticed as people are desperately hungry.”
CISLAC was sad that the Abuja stampede during a food distribution exercise at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama claimed 10 lives, including four children, while leaving several others injured.
It also pointed to the incident that occurred in Okija, Anambra State, resulted in the death of at least 20 people and left over 30 others injured.
It lamented that in Ibadan, Oyo State, children’s funfair hosted by Women in Need of Governance and Support (WINGS), an initiative of Queen Naomi Silekunola, turned fatal when an overcrowded entrance led to a stampede. Many children tragically lost their lives, while several others sustained injuries as they struggled to gain access to the event.
It said that “these incidents are avoidable, but highlight the depth of hunger and deprivation in our society,” Rafsanjani added.
“The government must urgently adopt measures to address food insecurity, create jobs, and alleviate the suffering of the people.”
Similarly, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) blamed the spate of deadly stampedes occurring across the country on government’s failure to address worsening economic conditions.
While expressing grave concern about the tragedies, the advocacy group accused both the Federal and state governments of “weaponizing poverty,” creating an environment where desperate citizens now risk their lives scrambling for basic necessities that were affordable just months ago.
In a statement by its national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA also condemned the most recent stampede in Maitama, Abuja, the crowd crush at a school fair in Ibadan, and the stampede in Okija, Anambra State, where multiple casualties were recorded during the distribution of palliatives.
HURIWA lamented that these stampedes were the result of severe hunger and deprivation fueled by skyrocketing inflation, poor economic policies, and the weaponisation of poverty.
“Nigerians are dying while rushing for staple foods that were affordable just a few weeks before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took office. The government’s inability to implement effective economic policies has pushed millions into desperation,” the group stated.
The group reiterated its warning that Nigeria is on the verge of a socio-economic collapse. It called on all levels of government to act decisively to reverse the trend and restore hope to the millions of Nigerians struggling to survive.
“The lives lost in Abuja, Ibadan, Anambra, and elsewhere are a grim reminder of the cost of inaction. The government must stop weaponising poverty and take immediate steps to address the root causes of this crisis. Failure to act now will only push Nigeria further toward the precipice of a failed state,” HURIWA declared.
An eyewitness at the Okija disaster said a stampede ensued when a large number of persons had come for the palliative which surpassed previous years’ exercises.
Obinna Okoye confirmed that “the multiple deaths of Okija citizens resulted from crowd stampede at ongoing palliatives powered by Okija,s top son, Chief Ernest Azudialu Obiejesi who made impact in Okija on several fronts.
“His annual Christmas palliative of distribution of free food items attracted mammoth crowds per year. This year, a never-seen-before crowd became uncontrollable despite care distribution of cards to intending recipients. As at now, over 20 deaths have been recorded and several more injured due to exhaustion.
Echezona Nkiru, one of the survivors attributed the stampede to lack of adequate security in controlling the crowd which she said was ten times more than what was obtainable in the previous exercises.
She said as early as 6am, the venue of the palliative distribution had been filled to the brim with organisers screening intending beneficiaries whom they issued permit cards before the crowd overpowered them.
Echezona further traced the cause of the stampede to hunger, saying the whole thing started when people who were initially among the selected beneficiaries tried to force themselves into the sharing arena, resulting in people struggling to grab as many items as possible.
“Few weeks ago, there were people who went from house to house capture the proposed beneficiaries from villages in Okija. Each person so captured was given a card which was to serve as accreditation card and permit for the palliative. While organisers were still accrediting those with the permit cards, the mammoth crowd surged forward, resulting in the stampede.
On his own part, Ogusike Damian of Umuogu village, Okija, the incident could have been avoided if the organisers took cognisance of the ravaging hunger in the country and took extra precautions, adding that they felt to understand that based on the economy of the country, many families had been thrown into the streets in search of food no matter how.
It was learnt that the victims of the stampede were been deposited at Our Ladies Mortuary, Okija, including a mother and daughter who were relatives of Chief Ken Emeakayi, the Senior Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Community Security among others, while the injured ones were rushed to undisclosed hospitals for urgent medical attention.
The National Director of Social Communications, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Rev Fr Mike Nsikak Umoh, while confirming the Abuja tragic incident, informed that the palliative distribution had been suspended.
An eyewitness described the scene as chaotic and tragic, revealing that at least seven of the deceased were children. The eyewitness further indicated that many people arrived at the venue of the food distribution as early as 4:00 am, hoping to secure their share of the handout before the stampede occurred between 7:00 am and 8:00 am following crowd surge.
Another eye witness, a mother of five said: “Ten people have been reported dead, including children. We just received a call that they have passed on. Over 3,000 people came out to receive the palliative. It’s unfortunate. Some of them arrived as early as 4:00 am. Most of those present were residents of Mpape, Gishiri Village, and other nearby settlements.
“The distribution of palliatives has been suspended indefinitely, and the police have dispersed the crowd.”
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, while also confirming the incident in a statement, said the Police Rapid Response Squad and the FCT Joint Task Force quickly evacuated the remaining crowd which numbered over a thousand.
She added that the Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, had visited the victims in the hospital.
According to her, “to prevent such tragic incidents in the future, the Command has mandated that all organisations, religious bodies, groups, or individuals planning public events, charitable activities, or large gatherings in the FCT must notify the Police Command in advance.
“Failure to comply with this directive will result in the organisers being held liable for any incidents or loss of life resulting from negligence,” she said.