As Nigeria approaches the close of 2024, three separate stampedes occurred in the space of four days, leaving behind the dead and broken bodies of innocent Nigerians. Most of them were children and women. These tragedies took place in Ibadan, Oyo State; Maitama, Abuja, and Okija, Anambra, claiming at least 100 lives, who died tragically during food distribution events.
The toxic tale began in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on December 18. There, at least 35 children were victims at a funfair reportedly organised by a former queen of the Ooni of Ife, Naomi Shikemi and a broadcaster.
Such loss of life is unacceptable, and the failure of organisers and the government to prevent these disasters is a stain on the country’s reputation.
In Ibadan, the incident occurred when a crowd gathered for money and food aid distribution. An act of kindness turned into a catastrophe as the crowd surged uncontrollably. There were reports of people being trampled underfoot, as those in the back of the crowd pushed forward desperately seeking food.
The BBC reported that the organisers planned to share N5,000 per child, starting from 8 am. The children began gathering at 5 am! The stampede left at least 35 children dead, and many others injured.
In Abuja, the capital city, the situation was no different. Hundreds of people had gathered early at the Holy Trinity Catholic on Saturday, lured by promises of food aid during the holiday season. 10 were killed and several others were severely injured. Despite being held as an early morning event, the organisers could not control the turnout.
The scene quickly turned chaotic as organisers could not manage the crowd. Pure pandemonium ensued when food was brought out.
In Anambra – the third – it was a similar story on December 21. This was organised by a private citizen, Ernest Obiejesi at the Obijackson Centre, Okija. It did not matter. Crowd control was awful. In the end, more than 29 people were killed, many of whom were children. Many were suffocated or trampled in the frenzy. The image of the tiny bodies of children crushed under the weight of the mob is an indelible scar on the conscience of the country.
The question must be asked: How could these tragedies have been avoided? The answer is simple – proper planning and crowd control measures. But both the organisers and the government failed in this most basic responsibility.
Four people were killed in November at the annual Christ the King Catholic Church in Aba, Abia State, during a procession. Several children were injured in the massive procession.
The Nigerian government must bear the brunt of the responsibility for these stampedes. These incidents are not isolated, and they are not accidents. They result from systemic failures, the consequences of neglecting the most vulnerable members of society, and the failure to address hunger in the country.
With an oversized population estimated at 233 million, Nigeria has struggled with poverty for years. In 2018, Nigeria gained notoriety after displacing India as the global poverty capital with 86.7 million living below the poverty line.
In 2022, a joint survey led by the National Bureau of Statistics reported 133 million citizens living in multidimensional poverty. Many citizens face food insecurity.
Hardship has aggravated since President Bola Tinubu cancelled petrol subsidies in May 2023 and floated the naira in June 2023.
Indeed, the government’s response to the hardship has been woefully inadequate. Food aid distribution programmes, such as those that resulted in these stampedes, should never have been the only solution. Instead of addressing the root causes of poverty and food insecurity, the government has opted for piecemeal measures that only deepen the privation.
Beyond the poverty statistics, the Federal Government controls the security system. With a weak, centralised system, Nigeria is susceptible to danger. Public safety is a fundamental responsibility of the state, and it is appalling that no sufficient measures were put in place to manage these large crowds. The deaths of so many, particularly children, are a damning indictment of society’s failure to protect its people.
The lack of proper planning, coordination, and oversight at these food distribution events highlights the government’s negligence. Tragically, it took the deaths of dozens for anyone to pay attention to the overcrowded, dangerous, and undignified conditions under which these distributions took place.
Equally culpable are the organisers of these food distribution events. There is no excuse for failing to anticipate the dangers of large crowds gathering in a single place without the necessary crowd control measures. The organisers should have ensured that there was adequate space, security, and a clear, orderly process for distributing food. These basic precautions were entirely ignored, with devastating consequences.
While the government and the organisers bear the primary responsibility for these deaths, there is a sobering reality that cannot be ignored: the behaviour of Nigerians in these situations. The chaos that erupted in Ibadan, Abuja, and Anambra was not just a result of poor planning by the authorities, but also of the collective impatience and desperation that characterises public events in Nigeria.
Nigerians have become conditioned to an environment where shortages and inequality are the norm. The intense hunger and fear of missing out lead to a sense of panic that is often exploited during events like these. The inability of Nigerians to queue up in an orderly manner exacerbates the situation. In a society where every meal feels like a rare treasure, the desperate scramble for food can easily devolve into a violent and uncontrollable mob.
This mob mentality is not unique to these events; it is part of a larger societal issue where individuals often abandon common sense and basic civility in favour of self-interest. While this behaviour is understandable in a country where the government has failed to provide for the people, it is still a symptom of a deeper problem.
The government cannot continue to ignore the systemic issues that have led to these tragedies. The root cause of these stampedes is hunger. Nigerians are not flocking to food distribution events because they enjoy the festive atmosphere or the holiday spirit; they are doing so because they are desperate for food. Poverty has become a national emergency, and the government has failed to respond.
Instead of focusing on short-term measures, such as the distribution of food aid, the government must prioritise long-term solutions to end poverty and hunger. This includes providing better access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, especially for the most vulnerable segments of the population. The government must implement policies that reduce inequality and ensure that Nigerians have enough food to sustain themselves.
Food insecurity is inextricably linked to the failure of the agricultural sector. The government must invest in farming and food production to make the country more self-sufficient and less reliant on aid.
The government cannot afford to let these deaths be in vain.
To avoid more tragedies in the future, there must be a real commitment to ending hunger, reducing poverty, and restoring order to society. Only this can bring hope for a Nigeria where no one risks their life for a meal.
