Stampedes at Christmas charity events kill 32 people in Nigeria

The death toll from stampedes during two Christmas charity events in Nigeria has increased from 13 to 32, including at least four children, police said on Sunday.

The dead included 22 people in southeastern Anambra state’s Okija town, where a philanthropist on Saturday organized a food distribution, local police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga said. Ten others died in the capital, Abuja, during a church-organised similar charity event.

Police said they were investigating the two incidents, only days after another stampede in which 35 children were killed.

Africa’s most populous country is seeing a growing trend by local organisations, churches and individuals to organise charity events ahead of Christmas to ease economic hardship caused by a cost-of-living crisis.

Witnesses of the Abuja stampede told The Associated Press there was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as dozens tried to enter the premises at around 4 a.m., hours before gift items were to be shared.

Some of them, including older people, waited overnight to get food, said Loveth Inyang, who rescued one baby from the crush.

The stampedes prompted growing calls for authorities to enforce safety measures at such events. Nigerian police also mandated that organisers obtain prior permission.

Deadly stampedes have also occurred at previous church charity events.

A stampede at an event in Port Harcourt in May 2022 killed 31 people.

Police said the stampede took place at an annual “Shop for Free” programme organised by the Kings Assembly Pentecostal church in Rivers state.