Nigeria suffers another death craze at a free food event

The death toll from a mob attack in Nigeria’s southeastern town of Okija has risen to 22, police said.

This is the third incident of people being crushed at events where free food has been distributed this week.

The deaths in Okiya happened at a charity event on Saturday as residents rushed to collect Christmas donations, including rice and vegetable oil.

On the same day, a similar tragedy at a Catholic church in the capital Abuja left 10 dead and 35 children dead during a carnival in the city of Ibadan on Wednesday.

Police have now warned organizers to notify the authorities before holding charity events to prevent such deaths.

Toyin Abdul Kadri, who witnessed the mayhem at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Abuja, told AFP that those present “broke the gate and entered”.

“Vulnerable and elderly people” took part in the event, and four children died, police said.

In a social media post on the debacle, Amnesty International Nigeria wrote: “President Bola Tinubu’s government must urgently prioritize tackling widespread hunger, higher unemployment and rapidly falling living standards.”

Food and transport costs in Nigeria have more than tripled in the past 18 months.

The global bout of inflation has been exacerbated by some government policies aimed at strengthening the economy in the long run, such as ending fuel subsidies.

In a statement on the deadly disasters, President Bola Tinubu said: “In a season of joy and celebration, we mourn with fellow citizens who mourn the painful loss of their loved ones. Our prayers for divine comfort and healing are with them.”

He called on state governments and police to enforce strict crowd control measures and canceled all official engagements in honor of the victims.

He also noted similarities between the incidents, including one earlier this week in the southwestern city of Ibadan.

A crush at the school fair 35 children died there and another six were seriously injured.

Thousands of people showed up on the promise of free food.

Residents of Basharun, a suburb of Ibadan, told the BBC that the crowd soon swelled to over 5,000 people, with many trying to break through the school gate. The parents are said to have tried to climb over the fence surrounding the complex to gain access.

Police spokesman Olumuiwa Adejobi said the three “tragic” incidents highlighted “the urgent need for a more structured and effective approach to assisting vulnerable groups and members of the public at large”.