The Most Tragic Events in Nigeria
Many of us have been shaken to the core by unexpected and startling occurrences in our lives, our communities, and Nigeria at large.
While dealing with other overwhelming emotions, sad occurrences may leave us feeling devasted or powerless whether we see them directly or hear about them in the news reports.
In the aftermath, we may also feel vulnerable, furious, or even guilty. Is anything as secure as it used to be?
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It’s possible that the reality and the suffering we’re dealing with are both too much for us to bear. It’s common to experience traumatic stress in the wake of a catastrophic occurrence.
In this post, we will be sharing some of the most tragic events in Nigeria. There are numerous tragic events in Nigeria, but the ones described below were particularly shocking, and devastating, and resulted in many deaths.
1. 2020 Lekki Tollgate Shooting
Unarmed End SARS protesters were shot and killed by Nigerian soldiers at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos State, Nigeria, on October 20, 2020, at around 6:50 p.m. As many as 12 protesters were confirmed dead by Amnesty International.
At first, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu denied any casualties had occurred during the event on October 21. However, in an interview with CNN the following day, he confirmed that “just two people were murdered.”
First, the Nigerian Army said it had nothing to do with it but subsequently admitted that it had sent troops there because Lagos State’s governor had ordered it.
In response to a CNN documentary on the incident, the Nigerian Army acknowledged before a Lagos Judiciary panel of inquiry investigating the killing that it had dispatched its soldiers with both live and blank bullets to the toll gate.
2. Dana Air Flight 0992 Crash
Dana Air Flight 0992 was a regular Nigerian domestic flight between Abuja and Lagos. During the approach to Lagos on June 3rd, 2012, the McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft flying the route had a double engine failure.
All 153 individuals on board the plane as well as six people on the ground were killed when the plane crashed after it failed to reach its planned destination.
159 people were killed, making it Nigeria’s worst commercial airplane accident since the Kano air disaster in 1973.
The AIB (Nigeria’s accident investigation bureau) determined that both aircraft’s engines had lost power on approach to Lagos, which was the intended destination.
The engines’ fuel lines had been spliced incorrectly, preventing both engines from receiving gasoline. Pilots delayed declaring an emergency until mid-flight when a second engine shut down and no longer provided any power.
In the end, the pilots’ lack of intelligence analysis and poor decision-making led the plane to crash into buildings
3. Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 Crash
Sosoliso Airlines Aircraft 1145 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight operating inside Nigeria, traveling from Abuja (ABV) to Port Harcourt (PHC).
Port Harcourt International Airport was on the scene of a plane disaster on December 10, 2005, at 14:08 local time (13:08 UTC). 110 persons were on board the McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 when it crashed and erupted into flames.
Immediately after the accident, seven persons who had survived were found and rushed to hospitals, but only two people ended up surviving.
It was the second flight tragedy to take place in Nigeria in less than three months, the first being the crash of Bellview Airlines Flight 210 on October 22, 2005, for reasons that are still unclear, which resulted in the deaths of all 117 passengers on board. It was the first and only fatality for the firm.
According to the Accident Investigation Bureau of Nigeria, the accident was caused by the pilot’s choice to continue descending into the airport even though the aircraft had exceeded the minimum decision height.
The pilots decided to do a go-around due to the wind shear. Their altitude was already too low, and they had not even prepared the plane for a go-around when they made this choice.
4. Abuja–Kaduna Train Attack
Around 6:00 p.m., a train departed Abuja’s Idu station bound for Kaduna’s Rigasa station. It was expected to get there at 8:00 p.m. After two bombs were detonated, the armed bandits opened fire on the passengers, according to eyewitness testimony.
Over 150 people remain unaccounted for, even though 26 passengers were officially reported missing.
According to a passenger who survived the attack, some people may have been taken into the jungle by the bandits who came on motorcycles with rifles and other dangerous weapons.
Among those slain was Amin Mahmoud, a young leader of the governing All Progressives Congress, APC; Chinelo Megafu Chinelo; a medical practitioner; Tibile Mosugu, a young lawyer and the son of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria; and Barrister Musa Lawal Ozigi, secretary-general of the Trade Union Congress.
Doctor Megafu Chinelo, who tweeted that she had been shot aboard a Kaduna-bound train, was found dead hours later. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) confirmed this in a statement on March 28, 2022. Soon after the terrorist assault on the Abuja-Kaduna train, Chinelo tweeted: “I’m in the train, I have been shot. Please pray for me”.
5. 2022 Port Harcourt Stampede
Thousands of people had gathered by the early hours of the 28th of May for the event, which was scheduled to begin at 9 am. The stampede began at approximately 6 a.m. when individuals waiting in line became impatient with the length of time it was taking and sought to get to the front. The mob surged forward as a tiny gate was opened, according to several accounts.
Numerous youngsters and a pregnant lady were among the 31 persons who lost their lives. As many as seven more victims were reported as injured by the incident, according to a police spokesperson. According to eyewitnesses, the official death toll may be underestimated.
6. 2022 Zamfara Massacres
Before the assaults, robbers launched a raid on a herd of 3,000 cattle, only to be met by local vigilantes, resulting in a firefight and a skirmish. It was a defeat for the outnumbered vigilantes, and many of them surrendered to banditry.
An assault on Kurfar Danya, in Zamfara’s Anka and Bukkuyum local government regions, began about 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday, January 4th, by armed bandits riding motorbikes with an estimated number of 300 to 500. Villagers were shot and killed by bandits while they plundered and burnt down their houses.
The towns of Kurla and Rafin-Gero were held hostage by armed bandits for two days without the government’s intervention. Bandits razed five distinct communities. “Anyone on sight,” according to one survivor, was how bandits shot their victims.
On Thursday, January 6th, the atrocities came to an end when armed troops stopped the bandits from carrying out their attacks. Bello Turji, a bandit commander, was suspected of being responsible for the atrocities.
7. The Nigerian Civil War
6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970, commonly known as the Nigerian-Biafran Conflict or the Biafran War, was a civil war that took place between the government of Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a separatist state that had proclaimed its independence from Nigeria in 1967.
General Yakubu Gowon led Nigeria, while Lt. Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu led Biafra.
Igbo leaders thought they could no longer cohabit with a federal government controlled by Hausa-Fulani Muslims in northern Nigeria, which is why they created Biafra as a symbol of their nationalist aspirations.
From 1960 to 1963, Britain’s official decolonization of Nigeria caused political, economic, ethnic, cultural, and religious conflicts in Nigeria.
A military coup, a counter-revolution, anti-Igbo pogroms in Northern Nigeria, and the persecution of Igbo people residing in Northern Nigeria were the immediate causes of the conflict in 1966.
Control of the Niger Delta’s lucrative oil output was also an important strategic consideration.
A year later, federal forces encircled Biafra and seized oil installations along the coast as well as the city of Port Harcourt. A deliberate strategy of the blockade was implemented throughout the subsequent stalemate, leading to widespread famine.
About 100,000 soldiers were killed throughout the two and a half years of the conflict, while up to 2 million Biafran people perished from starvation.
8. Owo Catholic Church Attack
There was a mass shooting and bombing at a Catholic church in the Nigerian city of Owo on June 5, 2022.
The incident occurred in the Owo local government area at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. As part of their celebration of the Pentecost, the congregation was now conducting mass inside the church.
The terrorists exploded improvised explosive devices outside the premises and began shooting their firearms.
At least four of the attackers shot straight at the building. Terrorists stormed the church and opened fire on the congregation, killing everyone they observed moving or attempting to rise from their seats.
A number of bystanders were also injured as gunshots ricocheted across the area. The corpses of victims were seen lying in pools of blood on the floor in videos. The churchgoers sought to evacuate the building, but the main door was closed and the shooters opened fire on others attempting to flee via the remaining two exits, preventing them from making it out.
Although the death toll has not been confirmed, investigators believe it to be large.
There has been no official assertion of liability. However, a large number of Owo villagers who are members of the Yoruba ethnic group have accused members of the Hausa and Fulani herders groups of being involved in the attack. Neither the police nor government officials have placed responsibility on anybody.
Conclusion
The majority of the time, tragic events occur with little or no notice. Our own experiences or those of a close friend or neighbor, or media reports, can bring us into contact with them. Sadly, it’s impossible to escape the realities of death, suffering, and tragedy, which is why the world might seem frightening at times.
However, We must take care of ourselves, even if it is the last thing on our minds at the moment. We begin the healing process by taking the time and space we need.
