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The death toll from a crowd in the southeastern Nigerian city of Okija has risen to 22, police say.
It is the third case this week of people being crushed to death at events where free food was distributed.
The deaths in Okija occurred at a charity event on Saturday, as residents rushed to collect Christmas donations, including rice and vegetable oil.
On the same day, a similar tragedy at a Catholic church in the capital city Abuja killed 10 people, while 35 children died during a carnival event on Wednesday in the city of Ibadan.
Police have warned organizers to notify authorities before holding charity events to avoid such loss of life.
Toyin Abdul Kadri, who witnessed the crowd at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Abuja, told the AFP news agency that attendees “forced the doors and forced themselves inside.”
“Vulnerable and elderly individuals” were involved in the incident and four children died, police said.
In a social media post about the massacres, Amnesty International Nigeria wrote: “President Bola Tinubu’s government must urgently prioritize addressing widespread hunger, rising unemployment and rapidly declining living standards.”
Food and transportation costs have more than tripled in Nigeria in the last 18 months.
The global outbreak of inflation has been exacerbated by some of the government’s policies – designed to strengthen the economy in the long term – such as ending a fuel subsidy.
In a statement on the deadly crushings, President Bola Tinubu said: “In a time of joy and celebration, we grieve with our fellow citizens who mourn the painful losses of their loved ones. Our prayers of comfort and divine healing are with them.”
He urged state governments and police to implement strict crowd control measures and canceled all official engagements in honor of the victims.
He also noted similarities between the incidents, including one earlier this week in the southwestern city of Ibadan.
TO fall in love at a school fair 35 children died there and six others were seriously injured.
Thousands of people had come with the promise of free food.
Residents of Bashorun, a suburb of Ibadan, told the BBC that the crowd soon exceeded 5,000 people and many tried to force their way through the school gate. The parents are said to have attempted to scale the fence surrounding the complex to gain access.
Police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the three “tragic” incidents highlight the “urgent need for a more structured and effective approach to delivering aid to vulnerable communities and the general public.”
