Reps panel probe death of 22 persons in Anambra’s Christmas eve stampede

The House of Representatives on Public Petition is probing alleged negligence and conduct that allegedly led to the death of 22 persons in Okija, Anambra State, on the eve of last year’s Christmas celebration.

The decision by the Committee, chaired by Mr. Mike Etaba, followed the consideration of a petition by aggrieved persons led by Comrade Goodluck Ibem (President General, Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders) and Engr. Prince Onuoha (Director of Mobilization).

When the matter came up before the committee on Thursday last week, the respondents were conspicuously absent at the start of the hearing.

Etaba adjourned the session to February 20, 2025, for a proper investigation.

According to the petitioners, the event allegedly organized by the Chairman/CEO of Nectoil and the founder of the Obijackson Foundation, Mr. Ernest Nnaemeka Azudialu Obiejesi, in Okija, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, on Saturday, December 21, 2024, was intended to provide relief to citizens.

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But unfortunately, it resulted in a stampede that claimed the lives of 22 persons, with scores of others incurring various degrees of injuries.

The petitioners insist that the catastrophic loss of lives and the ensuing injuries were preventable, as they must have been caused by gross negligence on the part of the organizer.

“The key issues that contributed to the tragedy include poor planning and crowd control, lack of adequate security measures, absence of proper venue setup, and failure to anticipate a high turnout,” the petitioners alleged.

They pleaded with the Committee for a proper investigation into the matter in order to get justice for the victims.

The petitioners also demanded the prosecution of those found responsible for the avoidable tragedy.

They further demanded adequate compensation for the families of the deceased and the injured victims.

“The lives lost in the incident cannot be brought back, but justice and accountability must be ensured to provide some solace to the affected families and to prevent such a tragedy from happening again,” they stated.