Nigerian police said that the death toll from a crowd stampede in the town of Okija in southeastern Nigeria has risen to 22.
This is the third case this week of people being crushed to death at events where free food is distributed.
The deaths occurred in Okija during a charity event on Saturday, when 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 people dead, while 35 children died during a carnival event on Wednesday in the city of Ibadan.
Police have now warned organizers to inform the authorities before holding charity events in order to prevent such loss of life.
Toyin Abdul Qadiri, who witnessed the stampede at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Abuja, told AFP that those attending “forcefully stormed the gates and forced themselves inside.”
Police said the incident involved “frail and elderly people” and four children were killed.
In a social media post about the stampedes, Amnesty International Nigeria wrote: “President Bola Tinubu’s government must urgently prioritize tackling widespread hunger, high unemployment and a rapid decline in the standard of living.”
Food and transportation costs have more than tripled in Nigeria over the past eighteen months.
The global bout of inflation has been exacerbated by some government policies – designed to boost the economy in the long term – such as ending fuel subsidies.
In a statement on the deadly stampedes, President Bola Tinubu said: “In a season of joy and celebration, we grieve with our fellow citizens who mourn the painful losses of their loved ones. Our prayers are with them for divine comfort and healing.”
He urged state governments and police to implement strict crowd control measures, and canceled all his official engagements in honor of the victims.
He also pointed out similarities between the incidents, including one that occurred earlier this week in the southwestern city of Ibadan.
A Crush in school amusement park Thirty-five children were killed there and six others were seriously injured.
Thousands of people attended with the promise of free food.
Residents in Bashorun, a suburb of Ibadan, told the BBC that the crowd soon exceeded 5,000 people, and many of them tried to storm the school gate. The parents are said to have tried to climb the fence surrounding the complex to reach it.
Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the three “tragic” incidents highlight “the urgent need for a more organized and effective approach to providing assistance to vulnerable communities and members of the public at large.”
