An unverified number of residents are feared to have died after a stampede occurred in Okija, Anambra State, on Saturday morning.
TheCable reported that the residents were trampled upon while trying to get their share of the yearly distributed rice.
Also, many X users have shared that the stampede happened at an annual Christmas event organised by Obi Jackson, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Nestoil.
In a two-minute-long video of the incident trending on X, a male voice who was behind the camera and spoke in Igbo language said that the stampede happened on Saturday morning and killed residents including pregnant women.
He noted that the victims’ bodies were being filmed at the Lady’s Mortuary in the Ihiala area.
“This is our Lady’s Mortuary in Ihiala, these are the people that died at Obi Jackson’s home this morning, people that went to collect rice,” he said.
“Loot at the dead bodies of people who came for rice. They are still bringing in more bodies. They came in this morning. Even pregnant women were among them.
A clear plan should be in place for distributing food or essential items to prevent tragic incidents like stampedes. The unfortunate event in Okija this morning highlights the need for organized and safe distribution methods to avoid loss of life. pic.twitter.com/JNUApIt38D
“An abomination has happened. This is an abomination.”
In the video he shared, FIJ counted the bodies of 13 residents who were said to have been killed in the stampede. However, some X users pegged the number of victims at 13.
On Wednesday, about 32 children were killed after a stampede that happened in Oyo State. The children and their parents had visited the Islamic High School in the Basorun area of the state to be part of a children’s Christmas party hosted by Naomi Silekunola Ogunwusi, an ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife.
Agbidigbo FM, an Ibadan-based broadcast station, had previously promoted the programme.
The incident has since stirred controversies, making the Oyo government announce an investigation into the case.
