Tragedy before Christmas: Nigeria records over 70 deaths in four days from stampedes

Islamic High School, Orita Bashorun, Ibadan, venue of the tragic children’s funfair stampede

Nigeria has recorded over 70 deaths of people who died in stampedes while scrambling for food and palliatives in different parts of the country.

With an inflation rate of 34.60%, many Nigerians cannot afford essential items, including food, and anticipate palliatives distribution events.

As a result, relief items distribution events witness unprecedented mammoth crowds. When the crowds get out of control, stampedes follow and people lose their lives while scampering for relief items.

The first recorded stampede incident that occurred recently was the Christman funfair organized by a former Queen of Ife, Naomi Shikemi, held at the Islamic High School in Bashorun on Wednesday.

At first, many Nigerians blamed the stampede on Agidigbo FM, a radio station in Ibadan, but the radio station denied the allegations later that day.

About 35 dead bodies of the minors were recovered from the scene of the stampede, while six others in critical condition were admitted at the Univerity College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan. The death toll increased to 40 after some of the victims who were in critical condition died.

The ex-queen and some other organisers were arrested while the police commenced investigations.

Three days later, no fewer than 20 people who had gathered for a rice distribution event died in a stampede in Okija, a community in Anambra.

The event was organized by the Obijackson Foundation, which sought to support vulnerable Nigerians by sharing rice to residents of the community. An unprecedented number of people showed up, and the struggle to get the palliatives resulted in a stampede.

That same day, another stampede was recorded at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), when 15 people were stampeded to death while struggling for palliatives.

The catholic church had expected a turnout of less than a thousand people for the distribution, but over two thousand people reportedly showed up.

The spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, said that 10 bodies, including four children and six adults, were recovered from the scene.

Nigerians React

Many Nigerians, including high-profile politicians, have lamented the loss of lives in the different stampedes.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), a microblogging platform, Peter Obi, the Labour Party Presidential Candidate during the 2023 Nigerian Elections, said the desperate quest for survival in these harsh economic times has driven many Nigerians to extremes in their search for food, often at the cost of their lives.

“How do we explain that in a nation blessed with abundant resources, our people are dying of hunger in such numbers? How is it possible that we cannot feed our citizens despite the vast, fertile lands our nation is endowed with? My heart bleeds,” he wrote.

“One can only imagine the pain their families are enduring at this moment. My heart goes out to them. I sincerely commiserate with all the affected families and the good people of Oyo, Anambra, and the FCT over these tragic incidents. May God grant them, and all of us, the strength to bear these painful losses.”

Oby Ezekwesili, Nigeria’s former Minister of Education during the Goodluck Jonathan Administration, noted that it is undeniable that many Nigerians have become victims of widespread food poverty, particularly among low and middle-income families. She added that the tolls of deaths in the past few days should send a message to Nigerian leaders.

She wrote on X, “I feel sad for the well-intended organizers of the 3 programs across the country who grossly underestimated the scale of beneficiaries that would show up in this season of famine in our land. And then of course, our weak emergency response system that has often failed to mitigate tragedies”.

“These serial losses of several of our children who went in search of free food should send the strongest message yet to all self-indulgent “leaders” in Nigeria’s public offices.”

Following these incidents, Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector-General of Police, has advised organisers of palliative distribution events to involve security agencies and ensure coordination to ensure safety during such events.