Nigeria’s Tragic Struggle for Survival: Desperate Crowds, Deadly Stampedes

Within just four days this December, over 70 Nigerians have lost their lives in a series of stampedes that occurred at a holiday funfair and two charity gatherings in two southern states and Abuja, the capital city. These incidents have raised concerns about crowd management mechanisms and socio-economic conditions driving such tragedy.

A week of tragedy

The most recent incident occurred on Dec. 21 during a rice distribution event organised by the Obijackson Foundation in Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria. Held at the Amaranta Stadium in Ojika, the charity event aimed to distribute rice to Nigerians grappling with economic hardship. However, before the event began, an uncontrolled crowd surge resulted in a stampede that claimed 22 lives and left many injured, according to state police.

On the same day, another tragic stampede unfolded at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, north-central Nigeria, where thousands had gathered for a charity event distributing food and clothing. A surge in the crowd at 6:30 a.m. led to 10 deaths, including four children, and numerous injuries.

Just days earlier, on Dec. 18, a holiday funfair in the southwest at the Islamic High School in Ibadan, Oyo State, turned fatal when overcrowding caused a stampede that claimed the lives of about 40 children. The event, organised by the Women in Need of Guidance and Support Foundation, aimed to host 5,000 children, offering prizes and scholarships. Video footage revealed the chaotic scene, and security operatives have since arrested the event organisers.

Nigeria has witnessed increased charitable activities by local organisations and philanthropists who aim to offer relief to citizens burdened with economic hardship caused by the high cost of living that has clung to the masses.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, food inflation jumped to 37.8 per cent on a year-on-year basis as of September. This rising cost of living, worsened by the high unemployment rate, has left citizens struggling to meet basic needs, pushing them to seek free goods, leading to the deaths and injuries of desperate crowds vying for limited supplies.

A call for action

Police authorities have urged event organisers to engage law enforcement to prevent future tragedies. “Failure to comply will result in liability for any loss of life or injuries caused by negligence,” warned Police spokesperson Josephine Adeh.

Activists and political figures have also weighed in. Hassan Soweto of the #EndBadGovernance Movement linked the stampedes to the government’s inability to address economic hardship. 

“It is so unfortunate that well-meaning Nigerians are stampeding themselves to death just for a few grains of rice. This indicates the unprecedented level of desperation the policies of the Tinubu government have caused,” Soweto told HumAngle. “Apart from those who died during stampedes at charity events, several other Nigerians are depressed due to their inability to meet family needs and indebtedness.”

Former presidential candidate Peter Obi lamented “systemic failures plaguing the country”. He linked the incidents to the desperate quest for survival, which has “driven our people to extremes in their search for food, often at the cost of their lives”.

“How do we explain that in a nation blessed with abundant resources, our people are dying of hunger in such numbers? How is it possible that we cannot feed our citizens despite the vast fertile lands our nation is endowed with? My heart bleeds,” Obi wrote.

The presidency, through spokesperson Sunday Dare, highlighted the shared responsibility for ensuring safety at public events. We must not lose sight of the need for patience, orderliness, crowd management, and enforcement of necessary permits for such events. Yes, the government has a role to play, but citizens also have responsibilities,” he said.

“This government is committed to ensuring that the economic difficulties of this period are resolved swiftly in Nigeria so that the standard of living of the average Nigerian can improve,” Dare noted.

Soweto warned of further social unrest if conditions do not improve. “People would be forced into barbarism if things don’t get better. If people can stampede themselves to death in charity events, what then can stop them from invading malls or restaurants?”

Not the first time

Stampedes during charity, recruitment, and religious events are not new in Nigeria. In October 2013, a Eid-Al-Fitr food distribution exercise in Ilorin led to a stampede that claimed 20 lives. That same year, 25 worshippers died at the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry in Anambra following a false fire alarm. 

Three worshippers of the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Ikotun, Lagos State, lost their lives when a stampede broke out in 2016. The victims were reported to be part of the crowd who rushed to see Prophet Temitope Joshua, the church’s general overseer, during one of its services.

In 2014, overcrowded recruitment exam centres for the Nigerian Immigration Service resulted in the deaths of several candidates. More recently, a rice distribution exercise at Nasarawa State University in March left two students dead and many injured. Equally, when the Nigerian Customs Service commenced a food item distribution, a stampede ensued in its Lagos office, leading to seven deaths. Victims who scrambled to buy food items seized from smugglers met the unfortunate incident when a crowd stormed the command in Yaba.

“The social and psychological implications of these tragic events are not surprising because people are now in such a desperate struggle for survival that just anything to get by with becomes a target for everyone,” Soweto said.