22 people died in a fatal crush during a free food festival

According to the police, four children were killed and “vulnerable and elderly individuals” were involved.

Now, the police are telling people who are planning charity events to let them know about them so that people don’t get killed.

Police say that the number of people killed in a crowd crush in Nigeria’s southeast town of Okija has reached 22.

People have been crushed to death three times this week at events where free food was being given out.

The deaths in Okija happened at a charity event on Saturday, when people were rushing to get Christmas gifts like rice and vegetable oil.

Ten people were killed in a similar incident at a Catholic church in Abuja, the country’s capital, on the same day. In Ibadan, 35 children died at a carnival on Wednesday.

Police have now told people who plan charity events that they need to let the authorities know before they happen so that people don’t get killed.

Toyin Abdul Kadri, who saw the crowd at Abuja’s Holy Trinity Catholic Church, told AFP that the people who were there “forced the gates and forced their selves inside.”

According to the police, four children were killed and “vulnerable and elderly individuals” were involved.

Amnesty International Nigeria wrote on social media about the crushes, “President Bola Tinubu’s government must urgently prioritize addressing widespread hunger, higher unemployment, and the rapidly falling standard of living.”

In Nigeria, the price of food and to get around has more than tripled in the past 18 months.

Some policies of the government, like ending a fuel subsidy, have made the global bout of inflation worse. These policies are meant to improve the economy in the long run.

President Bola Tinubu said in a statement about the deadly crushes, “In a season of joy and celebration, we grieve with fellow citizens who have lost loved ones in painful ways.” Our prayers are with them for God’s comfort and health.

He asked state governments and the police to strictly control the crowds, and to remember the victims, he has canceled all of his public events.

He also talked about the connections between the events, such as the one that happened earlier this week in Ibadan, a city in the southwest of Nigeria.

A crush at a school fair there killed 35 kids and hurt six others badly.

A lot of people came because they were told they could get free food.

People who live in Bashorun, an area of Ibadan, told the BBC that the crowd quickly grew to over 5,000 people, with many trying to break through the school gate. Parents are said to have tried to climb over the fence around the area to get in.

“Urgently need for a more structured and effective approach to delivering aid to vulnerable communities and members of the public in general,” said Olumuyiwa Adejobi, a spokesman for the police.