Tinubu cancels engagements as 39 killed in Anambra, Abuja food stampedes

•IG orders probe, Peter Obi blames systemic failure

No fewer than 39 Nigerians have lost their lives following stampedes during food-sharing events in Okija, Anambra State, and Maitama, Abuja, on Saturday, Sunday PUNCH can confirm.

In the struggle to get ahead and obtain the free food items distributed by organisers, the residents trampled upon one another, leading to the deaths.

While 10 residents died in Abuja, 29 were reported killed in Anambra.

These stampedes are coming days after a similar incident occurred in Ibadan, Oyo State, where 35 children lost their lives and several others were left critically injured during a funfair.

The funfair was held on December 18, 2024, at the Islamic High School in the Bashorun district of Ibadan.

10 killed in Abuja

In the Saturday Abuja stampede, 10 persons were confirmed dead at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, Abuja, where the outreach was held.

Sunday PUNCH gathered that the incident occurred around 6am during an annual charity event organised by parishes of the Catholic Church to distribute foodstuffs to the poor and the vulnerable in the community.

An eyewitness, who identified himself as John, said the crowd remained orderly until around 5am.

He said, “Many people came from Mararaba, Nyanya, and Mpape areas to benefit from the church’s food distribution.

“To be honest, the church didn’t anticipate the size of the crowd that showed up. Although there were two security operatives on duty, they couldn’t manage the growing crowd effectively.

“Initially, everyone was orderly, but as the day broke, the number of people doubled. In their desperation to get the rice first, people began pushing and shoving. Before we knew it, we started hearing cries for help from those who had fallen or sustained injuries. The police came to rescue those injured and dispersed others who waited behind with the hope that the distribution would continue.”

The National Director of Social Communications at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Reverend Father Mike Umoh, expressed sadness at the incident, stating that the parish might have been overwhelmed by the large turnout.

He noted that the church had never experienced such an occurrence in the years since the outreach began.

He said the sad event should be a signal to other organisers to be more careful and implement better crowd control measures.

Confirming the deaths, Umoh said, “Yes, it is true that a sad incident was recorded in the process of the charity outreach of the parish today at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama.

“It is good to know that in almost every parish in Nigeria, especially the viable parishes, this exercise has always been on, and the people who go are aware. The beneficiaries usually look out to know the day.

“In fact, they begin to inform one another about it. This exercise is usually taken up by the social arm of the church known as the Justice and Peace Development. They coordinate it on behalf of every parish. So it’s something that has been on for years.”

Umoh also noted that the stampede pointed to the state of the nation and the hunger in the country.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the FCT Command, SP Josephine Adeh, said 10 persons died in the incident, while eight others were injured and had been taken to a hospital for treatment.

Similarly, the Head of Public Affairs of the FCT Emergency Management Department, Nkechi Isa, in a statement, confirmed the incident, adding that 10 persons were injured.

“The stampede occurred while the church was distributing palliatives to the less privileged members of society. The unfortunate event occurred at 6:30 am today,” the statement partly read.

 29 die in Anambra

No fewer than 29 persons have been reported dead and many others injured during a stampede that occurred at the gate of the Charity Event at the Obijackson Centre in Amanranta, Okija, Ihiala LGA of Anambra State.

Sunday PUNCH gathered that the stampede, which occurred at the venue of the sharing of palliatives, including 25kg bags of rice, vegetable oil, and money, was a result of poor crowd control.

It was learnt that the victims, particularly elderly women and children, were trampled upon as they struggled to gain entrance amid a large and uncontrollable crowd.

One of our correspondents, who was at the scene, observed that many shoes and slippers belonging to the victims were littered on the ground in front of the gate as security operatives battled to control the surging crowd, who were still forcing their way onto the premises.

Despite the stampede and the tragic incident, the sharing of palliatives continued, with beneficiaries going home with 25kg bags of rice, vegetable oil, noodles, and cash gifts from the foundation.

The palliatives were being donated by a notable member of the community, Chief Ernest Obiejesi (Obijackson), on behalf of the Obijackson Foundation.

This is an annual exercise by the foundation to celebrate Christmas with the people of the community.

Eyewitnesses at the venue said many who collapsed were rushed to hospital, while those who died were taken to the morgue.

They added that a woman lay dead in front of the gate with her baby before the arrival of her husband.

An eyewitness, who asked not to be identified, said, “The stampede occurred at about 7.45am as the gate of the arena was about to be opened because many struggled to gain entrance. Many people, particularly the elderly and children, were trampled upon. Many collapsed and were critically injured, while some died before being rushed to hospital.

“A woman was lying dead in front of the gate with her little child strapped to her back. Fortunately, the child was still alive. The husband was called upon, but when he arrived, he took the child away and left the scene.