By Our Correspondent
A devastating stampede occurred during a rice distribution event at Okija, resulting in the loss of multiple lives.
According to eyewitnesses and viral videos circulating on social media, over 19 people, mostly women, lost their lives in the tragic incident.
The event, organized by Obijackson, was intended to provide relief to the local community for Christmas.
However, the crowd grew restless as people rushed to collect the rice, leading to a deadly stampede.
Viral videos showed chaotic scenes of people rushing to escape the crush, with some desperately trying to revive those who had fallen.
The videos also revealed the gruesome sight of over 19 dead bodies, mostly women, being deposited in a nearby morgue.
The exact cause of the stampede is still unclear, but eyewitnesses blame the lack of crowd control and inadequate security measures.
“The organizers should have been more prepared,” said one eyewitness. “They should have ensured that the crowd was managed properly to avoid such a tragedy.”
Efforts to get police confirmation of the report was not successful as phone call to the state Police Public Relations Officer Tochukwu Ikenga failed to go through severally
