The husband of one of the victims of the stampede that occurred at Okija, in Anambra state on Saturday, December 21 has lamented the tragic loss of his wife.

Speaking to The Punch in an interview, the man identified as Uchenna Nwaudo disclosed that he had cautioned her against attending the program but his advice was ignored.

The police in Anambra disclosed that 22 people were killed during a stampede in Okija, Ihiala local government area (LGA) of the state.

Tochukwu Ikenga, the police spokesperson in Anambra, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday morning, December 22, obtained by Legit.ng.

The stampede occurred at the gate of a charity event at the Obijackson Centre in Amanranta area of the community.

Speaking on Sunday, Nwaudo lamented the loss of his wife in the incident.

He said: “I am from Umuohi village in Okija. On the fateful day, I had warned my wife not to go to the rice-sharing venue because of our little baby who was not feeling fine. I asked my wife not to attend the event to look after the boy."

“But when I got there, to my surprise, I met her lifeless body and my baby still strapped on her back while everywhere was rowdy and everybody scampering to safety. I looked and observed that the baby was still alive. What I did was remove the baby from her back and leave the scene.”

“Even my mobile phone and her handbag were nowhere to be found,” he added.