The number of deaths from crowds in Nigeria’s southeastern city of Okija has risen to 22, police say.
It is the third case this week of people being crushed to death during events where free food was distributed.
The fatalities in Okija occurred on Saturday during a charity event, 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 ten people dead, while on Wednesday 35 children were killed during a carnival event in the city of Ibadan.
Police have now warned organizers to inform authorities before organizing charity events to avoid such loss of life.
Toyin Abdul Kadri, who witnessed the crowds at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Abuja, told news agency AFP that those present had “forced the gates and forced themselves inside”.
The event involved “vulnerable and elderly persons” and four children were killed, police said.
In a social media post about the crushings, Amnesty International Nigeria wrote: “President Bola Tinubu’s government must urgently prioritize addressing widespread hunger, higher unemployment and rapidly declining living standards.”
Food and transport costs in Nigeria have more than tripled in the past eighteen months.
The global inflation wave has been exacerbated by some of the government’s policies – intended to strengthen the economy in the long term – such as ending a fuel subsidy.
In a statement on the fatal crushes, President Bola Tinubu said: “At a time of joy and celebration, we join fellow citizens in mourning the painful losses of their loved ones. Our prayers for divine comfort and healing are with them.”
He urged state governments and police to enforce strict crowd control measures and canceled all his official engagements to honor the victims.
He also noted the similarities between the incidents, including one earlier this week in the southwestern city of Ibadan.
A crush at a school fair left 35 children dead and six others seriously injured.
Thousands of people came for the promise of free food.
Residents of Bashorun, a suburb of Ibadan, told the BBC that the crowd quickly exceeded 5,000 as many tried to force their way through the school gate. Parents are said to have tried to climb the fence surrounding the property to gain access.
Police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the three “tragic” incidents highlight the “urgent need for a more structured and effective approach to delivering assistance to vulnerable communities and members of the public at large”.
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