At least twelve people were confirmed dead on Saturday morning in Okija town, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, following a stampede during a Christmas rice distribution.
The event, organized by philanthropist Chief Earnest Obiejesi, also known as Obi Jackson, left over thirty-two people injured, with several others fainting. Obiejesi has long made it a tradition to distribute food items to his community during festive seasons, often drawing large crowds.
This year, however, the distribution turned tragic as the crowd became uncontrollable, resulting in a stampede.
A local resident, Uchenna, explained: “It is not our brother Obi Jackson who caused their deaths, but the crowd that refused to comport themselves.
The bags of rice I saw could take care of everyone and even more people, but due to the hunger in the land, most people feared the rice might not reach them. This led to the tragic incident, and it is very unfortunate.”
Mrs. Maria Okonkwo, who was on her way to the event, recalled: “The number of people was overwhelming, and more people were still arriving when people started shouting.
The organizers were busy trying to control the crowd, but there was little they could do as the crowd had overpowered them. Some people chose to carry as many bags as possible, and when others fell, they were trampled by the surging crowd, leading to the deaths of several individuals.”
“I cannot say exactly how many people died, but it could be around ten or thirteen. However, those who were injured are more than thirty, and about six people fainted,” Okonkwo added.
Despite attempts to reach the event organizers, no one answered their calls, possibly due to the shock of the incident.
Anambra Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochikwu Ikenga, issued a statement confirming the situation.
He said, “Anambra State Police Operatives have taken over the scene in Okija, where an alleged stampede occurred in the early hours of today, December 21, 2024, leading to fatalities.”
Ikenga further explained that the philanthropist’s yearly tradition of distributing palliatives had drawn a large, uncontrolled crowd, leading to the tragedy.
While details of the affected individuals are still unclear, police operatives have taken control of the scene for further investigation. More updates will be provided as the investigation continues.
