Anambra [Nigeria], December 23 : At least 32 people were killed in crowd crushes at two separate charity events in Nigeria on Saturday, police say, reported CNN.
The first tragedy occurred in Okija, a town in the southeastern state of Anambra, where 22 people lost their lives.
The event was organized to distribute bags of rice to women in need, and the overcrowded scene resulted in the deadly crush. State broadcaster Radio Nigeria reported that hundreds of people arrived at the community centre, leading to the chaos when attendees surged forward in a desperate attempt to get the food.
Christian Aburime, the Chief Press Secretary to the Anambra State Governor, stated that the victims included "women, the elderly, pregnant (women), nursing mothers and children." The charity event was organized by the Obi Jackson Foundation, which aimed to distribute relief materials to less privileged community members during the festive season.
Aburime added that the event had "the noble intention of sharing relief materials," but the resulting disaster underscored the need for "a more structured and safer approach to distributing such assistance."
On the same day, another crowd crush occurred in Maitama, a district in Nigeria's capital, Abuja. Ten people, including four children, were killed at a food distribution event held at a local church. Police stated that over a thousand people gathered for the event, which led to the deadly overcrowding, reported CNN.
The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, described the incident as a "devastating blow to our community," adding that he was mourning the victims with "profound shock and sadness."
In response to the tragedies, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu canceled his appearance at a boat regatta in Lagos. His special adviser, Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement that the president "commiserated with the victims of the unfortunate incidents in Anambra and the Federal Capital Territory."
President Tinubu also called on "states and relevant authorities to enforce strict crowd control measures immediately." He expressed solidarity with the mourning citizens, stating, "In a season of joy and celebration, we grieve with fellow citizens mourning the painful losses of their loved ones."
These incidents came just days after a crowd crush in Ibadan, southwest Nigeria, which killed at least 35 children, CNN reported.
The event, organized to provide prizes to children under 13, had expected 5,000 attendees but ended in a tragedy. Following these events, Nigeria continues to face heightened scrutiny over crowd control and the safety measures at large public gatherings.
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