The death toll from the stampede in Anambra State has risen to 22, the local authorities said on Sunday.
A spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, said the police have commenced an investigation into the incident.
Ikenga, a Superintendent of Police, said those who sustained injuries are receiving medical treatment.
“The commissioner of police, Nnaghe Obono Itam, visited the hospital where the victims of the tragic stampede that occurred on 21/12/2024 in Okija, Ihiala local government area, are receiving treatment and regrettably stated that twenty-two people lost their lives,” Ikenga said.
“The CP commiserates with family and friends of the deceased and wishes the injured a quick recovery.”
The stampede took place on Saturday during a rice distribution event at Amaranta stadium in Ojika, Ihiala LGA. The event was organised by Obijackson Foundation.
Anambra stampede is not the first to happen of recent as the nation has previously recorded deaths from the Abuja and Oyo stampedes in December.
Shortly before the Anambra incident, another stampede occurred at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, claiming the lives of 10 persons.
Only a few days ago, a similar incident had occurred in Ibadan, Oyo State, where a stampede at a children’s funfair resulted in the deaths of at least 35 children and left six others critically injured.
As a result, many Nigerians including former vice president Atiku Abubakar and the presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Labour Party (LP) have called for better crowd management during large-scale events owing to the multiple stampedes in two food distribution programmes.
“It is with a heavy heart and deep sorrow that I receive yet again the heartbreaking news of lives lost in tragic stampedes, this time in Okija, Anambra, and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, resulting in the untimely passing of many,” Atiku wrote in a post on his X handle late Saturday.
“It is imperative that those entrusted with the organization of such large-scale events take the utmost care in crowd management, prioritizing the safety and well-being of all participants,” he said.
Obi said the incidents underline the rising hunger in the country which has led to desperation.
“I am deeply saddened and distressed by the tragic loss of lives in desperate searches for food,” Obi, who is a former governor of Anambra State, wrote in a post on his X account Saturday afternoon.
“While I will not cast blame, but instead appreciate the organizers of these respective events for their kind gestures in providing palliatives and support to society, especially the poor, these tragedies reflect the systemic failures that plague our society,” he said.
“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.