Death Toll Rises to 32 in Nigeria Christmas Charity Stampedes

The death toll from stampedes during two Christmas charity events in Nigeria has risen to 32, with at least four children among the victims, police confirmed on Sunday. The incidents, which occurred in Anambra State and the capital, Abuja, highlight the growing desperation for food aid amid Nigeria’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

On Saturday, a stampede at a food distribution event organized by a philanthropist in Okija, Anambra, claimed the lives of 22 people. In Abuja, a similar event hosted by a church resulted in 10 deaths as people surged toward the gates early in the morning, desperate to receive food and gifts. Witnesses reported that some attendees had waited overnight for the event, leading to the deadly crowd crush.

The tragic events have raised alarms about the safety of such charity initiatives, with growing calls for authorities to implement stricter safety measures and for organizers to obtain prior approval for large gatherings. Police have launched investigations into both incidents as the country grapples with increasing poverty and inflation. The stampedes add to a rising trend of charity-driven crowd disasters in the country as communities try to cope with severe economic hardship.