Another deadly crush at a program offering free food in Nigeria
Police say the death toll from a mob attack in Nigeria’s south-eastern city of Okija has risen to 22.
This is the third case this week when people were crushed to death at programs to distribute free food.
The deaths in Okija occurred at a charity event on Saturday, when residents rushed to collect Christmas donations, including rice and vegetable oil.
The same day, 10 people died in a similar tragedy at a Catholic church in the capital Abuja, while 35 children died during a carnival event in the city of Ibadan on Wednesday.
Police have now warned organizers to inform authorities before organizing charity events to prevent such loss of lives.
Toyin Abdulkadri, who witnessed the incident at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Abuja, told news agency AFP that people inside the church “broke down the door and forced themselves inside”.
Police said “vulnerable and elderly persons” were involved in the incident and four children were killed.
In a social media post about the crush, Amnesty International Nigeria wrote: “President Bola Tinubu’s government must urgently prioritize addressing widespread hunger, high unemployment and rapidly declining standards of living.”
Food and transportation costs in Nigeria have more than tripled in the past 18 months.
The global blow to inflation has been exacerbated by some government policies – meant to strengthen the economy over the long term – such as eliminating fuel subsidies.
In a statement on the fatal crushes, President Bola Tinubu said: “In the season of joy and celebration, we join fellow citizens in mourning the painful loss of our loved ones. Our prayers for divine comfort and healing are with them.”
He urged state governments and police to impose strict crowd control measures and canceled all his official programs out of respect for the victims.
They also noted similarities between the incidents, including one that occurred in the southwestern city of Ibadan earlier this week.
A Crush at a school fun fair There 35 children died and six others were seriously injured.
Thousands of people came on the promise of free food.
Residents of Bashorun, a suburb of Ibadan, told the BBC that the crowd soon swelled to more than 5,000 and many tried to force their way inside the school gate. It is said that the parents had tried to break the fence surrounding the premises to gain entry.
Police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the three “tragic” incidents highlight “the urgent need for a more structured and effective approach to delivering assistance to vulnerable communities and members of the public in general”.
