Nigeria: Several dead and injured in crowd movements in Abuja and Okija

On Saturday, December 21, 2024, tragic crowd movements occurred in Abuja , the Nigerian capital, and Okija , Anambra State, leaving several people dead and injured, according to official sources and rescue teams.

Human toll

In Abuja , at least 10 people , including four children , have died, while eight others have been injured, according to Josephine Adeh , a spokesperson for the Abuja police. In the town of Okija , emergency services also reported several deaths, although an exact toll has not yet been established.

Reactions of the authorities

In response to the tragedies, President Bola Tinubu has cancelled all his official engagements in Lagos, including his participation in the 2024 Lagos Boat Race , scheduled for the same day. In a statement, Bayo Onanuga , Special Adviser to the President, said:

“These two tragedies have caused many losses of life and several injuries. In their honor, the President has decided to suspend his official activities today.”

Circumstances of events

In Abuja, the tragedy took place outside the Catholic Church in Maitama , during a food distribution for vulnerable and elderly people . The large crowd and the lack of adequate measures to manage the crowd are believed to have led to a fatal stampede, according to initial police observations.

As for Okija, although details are still unclear, rescue teams and witnesses report that the tragedy also occurred in the context of a mass gathering, prompting calls for thorough investigations to determine the exact causes.

Calls for preventive measures

These incidents highlight the challenges of managing public gatherings in the country. Local organizations are calling on authorities to:

• Strengthen security measures during distributions of goods or public events.
• Educate organizers and participants on safety measures to avoid crowd movements.
• Improve assistance to victims , in particular by facilitating access to care for the injured.

A provisional assessment awaiting clarification

Local authorities and emergency services continue to assess the extent of the human damage, while investigations have been opened to identify responsibilities and prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Crowd movements remain a recurring problem in contexts of high human density in Nigeria, particularly during religious or humanitarian events.