Victor EzejaNearly 70 lives have been lost within 48 hours in three Nigerian cities due to tragic stampedes that occurred at event centres where they had gone to receive food and other palliatives for Christmas celebration.
It first happened in Ibadan, Oyo State, where an NGO, Women in Need of Governance and Support (WINGS), an initiative of Queen Naomi Silekunola, former wife of Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, organised a children’s funfair.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelNot less than 35 children were confirmed to have died due to the stampede during the event held at Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan.
The organisers of the event were said to have planned to do a giveaway of N5,000 to 5,000 children at the event. However, the crowd that besieged the event venue very early in the morning even before it started became uncontrollable leading to the unfortunate incident.
While the country was still reeling from the shock of the tragic loss of 35 children in a matter of minutes, two separate incidents occurred on Saturday in Abuja and Okija in Anambra State.
While 20 people were killed in the town of Okija, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, 10 others died at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, in the Maitama area of the country’s capital city.
Distribution of food items like rice and other essential consumables during the Christmas season by individuals and organisations has been a usual practice for years as a way of helping people to ease economic hardship during the festive season.
In Okija, the Obijackson Foundation has been organising rice distribution annually before Christmas but this year’s event turned sour as the number of people larger than they estimated, went to partake in it, leading to stampede and loss of lives, mostly women, including those that were pregnant.
The incidents have continued to generate reactions.
Tinubu Calls For Crowd Control Measure
Reacting to the incidents on Saturday, Nigeria’s President Bola announced the cancellation of all his scheduled events in Lagos in honour of the victims of the stampede.
While commiserating with the victims of the unfortunate incidents in Anambra and Abuja, President Tinubu urged states and relevant authorities to enforce strict crowd control measures to forestall such in the future.
The president stated that these mishaps are avoidable if event planners follow necessary safety protocols.
Deaths In Stampede A Reflection Of Systemic Failure – Obi
The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi, while expressing his sorrow over the tragic loss of lives, said it reflects “the systemic failures” in the country.
The former Anambra State governor observed that the harsh economic realities in the country have pushed many people to extremes in their desperate quest for survival.
“The desperate quest for survival in these harsh economic times has driven our people 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,” Obi stated.
He commiserated with all the affected families and the good people of Oyo, Anambra, and the FCT over these tragic incidents.
On his part, Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, offered heartfelt condolences to affected families. Atiku also stressed the need for organisers of large-scale events to “take the utmost care in crowd management, prioritizing the safety and well-being of all participants.”
Stampede Tragedies Should Serve as Strong Message to Leaders
Similarly, former Education Minister, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, stated that nothing better explains the gravity and scale of economic distress in the country than the tragedies caused by the three stampede incidents.
“The fact that some like to deny is that Nigerians have become victims of widespread food poverty, especially among our low and peripheral middle-income families,” Ezekwesili observed.
“I feel sad for the well-intended organizers of the three programmes 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.”
She added that the loss of lives of people who went in search of “free food” should send a strong message to all leaders in public offices in Nigeria about the true situation of things and the need to prioritize the welfare of the citizens.
HURIWA Blames Worsening Hunger
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) expressed concerns over the spate of deadly stampedes occurring across the country in recent times and attributed the tragedies to the government’s failure to address worsening economic conditions in the country.
HURIWA lamented that the stampedes were a result of severe hunger and deprivation in the country fueled by high inflation, and poor economic policies of the present administration.
“Nigerians are dying while rushing for staple foods that were affordable just a few weeks before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took office. The government’s inability to implement effective economic policies has pushed millions into desperation,” HURIWA stated.
According to a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the human rights advocacy group, the removal of fuel subsidies without adequate cushioning measures has exacerbated the cost of living crisis, forcing many Nigerians into extreme poverty. With over 133 million Nigerians classified as multi-dimensionally poor, according to recent reports, the group noted that hunger and deprivation have reached unprecedented levels.
“This government has turned poverty into a weapon, creating a situation where citizens are dying to secure basic sustenance. This is not governance; it is a tragedy,” HURIWA asserted.
READ ALSO: Okija Stampede: 19 Die Scrambling For Christmas Rice In Anambra
The association emphasized that these recurring stampedes signifies a deeper crisis in Nigeria’s socio-economic fabric. It warned that the country is dangerously close to the brink of becoming a failed state. “When citizens die in droves just to access food, it is clear that the state is failing in its primary responsibility of safeguarding the lives and welfare of its people,” HURIWA lamented.
The human rights group said that before the current administration came on board, staple foods like rice, beans and garri were within reach for the average Nigerian, but “today, these have become luxury items, accessible only to a few.”
It called for an immediate review of economic policies at both federal and state levels, urging leaders to prioritize the welfare of citizens over political and personal gains.
The group proposed measures to address the underlying causes of the current crisis and avert future tragedies. According to the group, the Federal Government should implement comprehensive social safety net programs to provide food, healthcare, and financial assistance to vulnerable populations. It also called for massive investments in agriculture to increase food production and reduce dependency on imports.
Other measures recommended by the group include introducing tax relief measures for low-income earners and small businesses to ease the economic burden; and creating job opportunities, through public works programs and partnerships with the private sector.
It also called on Tinubu’s administration to withdraw policies that have unleashed economic hardship and introduce reforms that are people-centered to rebuild public trust.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
