Okija Stampede: Tears as Anambra Police Share Death Figure of Unfortunate Incident

Okija Stampede: Tears as Anambra Police Share Death Figure of Unfortunate Incident

  • The police have confirmed that 22 people died in the Okija Christmas rice stampede which happened on Saturday, December 21
  • The figure was made known by the state command public relations officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement obtained by Legit.ng on Sunday, December 22
  • In the statement, the police vowed to protect vulnerable populations and foster a sense of security

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs and security matters.

Okija, Anambra state - The police in Anambra have disclosed that 22 people were killed during a stampede in Okija, Ihiala local government area (LGA) of the state.

Tochukwu Ikenga, the police spokesperson in Anambra, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday morning, December 22, obtained by Legit.ng.

Police: 22 died in Anambra Christmas rice stampede
The police in Anambra state have confirmed that 22 people lost their lives on Saturday, December 21, during a stampede in Okija. Photo credit: Nigeria Police Force
Source: Facebook

The 22 people lost their lives in a crush in Okija town during a charity event on Saturday, December 21. The programme was organised by a philanthropist.

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Ibadan stampede: Call surfaces for deceased children’s parents to be arrested, reason emerges

Viral videos that appeared to be from the scene in the southeast state showed lifeless bodies lying on the ground as people shouted for help and cried.

Police provide update on Anambra stampede

Ikenga stated that investigation into the “unfortunate incident” was still ongoing.

The police representative said:

“The police command remains dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of Ndi Anambra on crime prevention, responding promptly and effectively to emergencies, protecting vulnerable populations and fostering a sense of security and community."

Furthermore, the police added that some of the injured have been treated and discharged while others continue to receive medical care.

Following the tragedy, President Bola Tinubu cancelled all his official events in Lagos, including his attendance at the 2024 Lagos Boat Regatta.

In the same vein, the inspector general of police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, expressed concerns about the catastrophe. The security chief, therefore, warned organisers of such events to, henceforth, involve his men.

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JUST IN: Police arrest 30,313 suspects, recover 1,984 assorted firearms, details emerge

What authorities should do to avoid stampedes - Expert

Sharing his expert perspective, John Andah, executive director of ImpactHouse Centre for Development Communication, said stakeholders across all sectors, including government agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), philanthropists, and corporate donors, "must step up with coordinated and innovative solutions".

Andah, in an interview with Legit.ng, advised the federal and state governments to introduce protocols for public palliative distributions.

He said:

"Government agencies must first take responsibility for creating order out of chaos. The federal ministry of humanitarian affairs and disaster management should immediately implement nationwide protocols for public palliative distributions.
"These protocols should mandate crowd control measures, pre-registration systems, and decentralised distribution points to prevent the clustering of desperate crowds."

Stampede in Ibadan, Oyo state

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that at least 32 people were killed in a stampede at a charity event in Ibadan attended by dozens of masses.

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Christmas Eve attack: Gunmen on rampage, kill 15 in Plateau community, police react

The incident occurred at Islamic high school in Oyo state where up to 5,000 adults and children gathered for assistance.

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Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Ridwan Adeola avatar

Ridwan Adeola (Current Affairs Editor) Ridwan Adeola Yusuf is a content creator with more than nine years of experience, He is also a Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State (2014). Ridwan previously worked at Africa Check, contributing to fact-checking research works within the organisation. He is an active member of the Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI). In March 2024, Ridwan completed the full Google News Initiative Lab workshop and his effort was recognised with a Certificate of Completion. Email: ridwan.adeola@corp.legit.ng.

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