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Tears flowed freely as victims of the Okija stampede, in Anambra State were buried on Friday.
Mourners couldn’t hold back their tears as they consoled one another at the inter-denominational burial service for the victims held at the St. Mary’s Field, Okija.
No fewer than 21 victims, mostly women and children, lost their lives during the tragic incident that occurred on December 21, 2024 before the start of the palliatives distribution donated by a notable member of the community, Ernest Azudialu Obiejesi.
Families of the victims, survivors, community members and other notable personalities of the community attended the low-key event which was organised by the Okija community.
During the service, the Chairman, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Okija Zone, Bishop Rommy Nzomiwu, who anchored his lesson from the book of Revelation 21:1-8, asked God to console everybody who lost their loved ones and prayed against the reoccurrence of such an event.
Nzomiwu said, “We ask God to wipe away every tear and console the families of the deceased. We pray such an accident will not occur in Okija again. Okija mourns, Anambra mourns and Nigeria mourns.”
The Bishop of Ihiala Diocese, Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Ralph Okafor, who read from the book of Psalms 23, urged the families of the victims to move on and continue to look unto God for consolation.
While mourning the victims, Azudialu-Obiejesi, who is the Founder of the Obijackson Foundation, thanked the traditional ruler and other members of the community for their support and show of love.
Azudialu-Obiejesi said, “Today, we gather here with heavy hearts to honour the memory of those we lost in the tragedy that happened on December 21 in the community. I, as the founder of the Obijackson Foundation sincerely express my deepest condolences to the families of the victims and the entire Okija community for the incident.
“The foundation remains steadfast in its resolve to human development, this incident has strengthened our resolve to ensure that such tragedy will not occur again. Let this tragedy bring us closer and make us stronger as a community and have a resolve to forge ahead.
“This kind of tragedy can deter you from engaging in service, but we as a foundation, are going to continue to ensure that we do everything that God has empowered us to do to ensure that Okija never suffers this kind of calamity again.”
The Chairman of Dozzy Group of Companies, Chief Daniel Chukwudozie, consoled the victims and donated the sum of N10m to them.
In his speech, the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Emeka Okezie, urged the foundation to continue in its philanthropic gestures, as that have impacted positively on the community and the lives of the people.
Some of the survivors, who spoke at the event, expressed sadness over the incident, calling on God to grant the souls of the deceased eternal rest.
