According to local authorities, the number of people killed in the stampede in Anambra State has increased to 22 as of Sunday. This is coming after sesame stampede incidents that happened recently in Abuja and Oyo.
According to Tochukwu Ikenga, spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, the police have started looking into the matter. Those who were hurt are getting medical care, according to Superintendent of Police Ikenga.
Ikenga added, “The commissioner of police, Nnaghe Obono Itam, visited the hospital being treated for the victims of the tragic stampede that took place on December 21, 2024, in Okija, Ihiala local government area, and regrettably stated that twenty-two people lost their lives.”
The CP sends its condolences to the deceased’s family and friends and wishes the injured a speedy recovery.” The stampede happened at Amaranta Stadium in Ojika, Ihiala LGA, on Saturday during a rice distribution ceremony.
The Obijackson Foundation was in charge of the event. The December stampedes in Abuja and Oyo had killed people in the country before, so the Anambra stampede is not the first recent incident.
The Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, saw another rush shortly before the Anambra catastrophe, which claimed ten lives.
A similar incident happened just a few days ago in Ibadan, Oyo State, where a stampede at a children’s funfair killed at least 35 children and seriously injured six more.
Due to the numerous stampedes in two food distribution programs, several Nigerians, including former vice president Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, have urged for improved crowd control during large-scale events.
In a tweet on his X Twitter late Saturday, Atiku wrote, “I am deeply saddened by the devastating news of lives lost in tragic stampedes, this time in Okija, Anambra, and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, which resulted in the untimely passing of many.”
“Those in charge of planning such big events must exercise extreme caution when it comes to crowd control, putting everyone’s safety and wellbeing first,” he stated.
The occurrences, according to Obi, highlight the nation’s growing hunger, which has resulted in despair. A post on his X account on Saturday afternoon read, “I am deeply saddened and distressed by the tragic loss of lives in desperate searches for food.”
Obi is a former governor of Anambra State. He stated, “These tragedies reflect the systemic failures that plague our society, but I will not place blame; instead, I would like to thank the organizers of these respective events for their generosity in providing palliatives and support to society, especially the poor.”
Sadly, our people’s desperate efforts to survive in these difficult economic times have pushed them to extremes, frequently putting their lives in danger in the process of finding food.
–Deeprows News
