32 people killed in 2 separate stampedes in Nigeria

In Nigeria, the death toll from stampedes during two Christmas charity events has increased from 13 to 32, police said on Monday. The victims, including at least four children, collapsed during crowd surges as people grew desperate for food items while the country grapples with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

 

The dead included 22 people in southeastern Anambra state’s Okija town, where a philanthropist on Saturday organized a food distribution, local police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga said. Ten others died



in the capital, Abuja, during a church-organized similar charity event.

     

Police said they are investigating the two incidents, only days after another stampede in which several children were killed.

      

Africa’s most populous country is seeing a growing trend by local organizations, churches and individuals to organize charity events ahead of Christmas to ease economic hardship caused by a cost-of-living crisis.