The death toll from a crowd jostling in the southeastern Nigerian town of Okija has risen to 22, police said.
This is the third case this week of people being crushed to death at free food distribution events.
The deaths in Okija occurred at a charity event on Saturday, when people rushed to collect Christmas donations, including rice and vegetable oil.
On the same day, a similar tragedy at a Catholic church in the capital, Abuja, killed 10 people, while 35 children died during a carnival event on Wednesday in the city of Ibadan.
Police have now warned organizers to inform authorities before organizing charity events to prevent such loss of life.
Toyin Abdul Kadri, who witnessed the scuffle at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Abuja, told AFP news agency that attendees “broke the gate and forced themselves inside”.
Police said the event was attended by “elderly and vulnerable people” and four children died.
In a social media post about the repression, Amnesty International Nigeria wrote: “President Bola Tinubu’s government must urgently prioritize tackling widespread hunger, higher unemployment and Living standards are falling rapidly.”
Food and transport costs have more than tripled in Nigeria in the past 18 months.
The global inflation crisis has been exacerbated by a number of government policies – designed to strengthen the economy in the long term – such as ending fuel subsidies.
In a statement on the deadly stampedes, President Bola Tinubu said: “In this season of joy and celebration, we grieve as our countrymen mourn the painful losses of their loved ones. We pray for them spiritual comfort and healing.”
He called on state governments and police to enforce strict crowd control measures and cancel all official activities to commemorate the victims.
He also noted similarities between the incidents, including one that occurred earlier this week in the southwestern city of Ibadan.
ONE fell in love at a school fair there killed 35 children and seriously injured 6 others.
Thousands of people came with promises of free food.
Residents in Bashorun, on the outskirts of Ibadan, told the BBC that the crowd quickly exceeded 5,000 people with many trying to find their way through the school gates. The parents are said to have tried to get over the fence around the property to gain access.
Police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the three “tragic” incidents highlighted “the urgent need for a more structured and effective approach to delivering aid to vulnerable communities and the poor”. people in general”.
