Death toll in Anambra stampede increases to 22
The death toll from the recent stampede in Anambra State has risen to 22, according to local authorities on Sunday.
The Anambra State Police Command spokesperson, Superintendent Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed that investigations into the tragic incident are underway. He also noted that those injured are currently receiving medical care.
“The Commissioner of Police, Nnaghe Obono Itam, visited the hospital where the victims of the stampede, which occurred on December 21, 2024, in Okija, Ihiala Local Government Area, are being treated. Regrettably, 22 people have lost their lives,” Ikenga stated. “The CP sympathizes with the families and friends of the deceased and wishes the injured a speedy recovery.”
The stampede happened on Saturday during a rice distribution event organized by the Obijackson Foundation at Amaranta Stadium in Okija.
This incident follows other recent tragedies in Nigeria, including a stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, which claimed 10 lives, and another in Ibadan, Oyo State, where at least 35 children died during a funfair.
These repeated incidents have sparked calls for improved crowd management at large gatherings. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi have both expressed condolences and urged action to prevent such tragedies.
Atiku highlighted the need for better planning, saying, “It is with a heavy heart that I receive the devastating news of lives lost in stampedes in Okija, Anambra, and Abuja. Organizers of large-scale events must prioritize safety and effective crowd management.”
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, expressed sorrow over the events, linking them to growing hunger and desperation in the country. “I am deeply distressed by the tragic loss of lives in the search for food,” he wrote. While commending the organizers’ efforts to provide relief, he emphasized that these tragedies reflect systemic societal failures.
“The harsh economic realities have driven people to extreme measures in their quest for survival, often at the cost of their lives,” Obi lamented.