Funseekers flocked to fun spots in the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos, and Port Harcourt on Wednesday to enjoy Christmas despite the hardship and recent stampedes throughout Nigeria.
In their haste for palliatives, 67 people—35 of them children—were killed in stampedes in Ibadan, Abuja, and Okija.
What was supposed to be a Christmas palliative handout in Okija, Anambra State, on Saturday turned tragic when a stampede in the early hours of the morning claimed the lives of 22 people and injured several more.
Another catastrophe occurred in Abuja on the same day when ten people perished at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama during an annual Christmas food-sharing event.
These events came after a stampede at the Islamic High School, Basorun, in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday of last week. During a holiday funfair celebration, some children were killed, while others were sent to the University College Hospital for treatment.
Nigerians were alarmed by the stampedes, and the state governments of numerous states imposed strict regulations on those who planned sizable crowds.
Fun-seekers waited up in their automobiles to enter Magicland Park on Christmas Day along the Lugbe-Airport Express, and traffic jammed up to the express due to the slow-moving autos.
For those who couldn’t afford more costly options, the park offered inexpensive entertainment with tickets priced at N1,500 and game tokens priced at at least N500.
According to information obtained by News Central, the park was offering N3,500 for admission to all rides within the complex, except the arcade games. The promotion is valid through Friday.
In a similar vein, there were plenty of fun seekers in Garki Area 11’s Monoliza Park, where admission prices ranged from N3,000 to N10,000, depending on the activity patrons chose.
For example, a 30-minute horse ride costs N5,000, while adult and child amusement park tickets cost N2,000 and N5,000, respectively.
Additionally, a 15-minute paintball session costs N5,000, and additional balls and equipment can cost up to N15,000.
It was discovered that pleasure seekers might enter the Nike Art Gallery in the FCT’s Piwoyi neighbourhood for free. There was a significant prohibition on tourists taking pictures of the artworks, though.
At the same time, a sizable throng assembled at the open area next to the Abuja Chambers of Commerce, in front of ShopRite.
Many people spread out mats and brought food and beverages to enjoy a laid-back day outside after the area was transformed into a picnic area.
“As you can see, I came here with my family and friends to unwind,” said Yahaya, one of the people attending the picnic. We brought food, drinks, and mats. We may enjoy ourselves without having to pay the additional admission costs that many recreational centres impose thanks to this arrangement.
He pointed out that many people preferred these kinds of events because of their flexibility and affordability.”The environment is vibrant and welcoming, and there are a lot of people here with their loved ones. This is more affordable and more entertaining, in my opinion, than going to paid recreation places,” Yahaya continued.
Despite the high frequency of stampedes in many areas of the country, Lagos’s fun seekers continued to flock to the recreational centres along the Ikotun-Idimu-Egbede axis.
At a comparatively lower cost, a bouncy castle was used by fun-seekers, primarily kids and their parents, at one of the Tantalisers centres.
“I brought my kids here just to have fun in the spirit of the festive season,” said Johnpaul Ejiogu, a father. They have been at home for weeks without leaving, even though they are on vacation.
“This place is not crowded to the extent of causing a stampede, and the organisers are managing it very well,” Ejiogu stated about the stampede fear.
“At first, I was afraid to bring my kids out to this recreational centre, but when I checked here and noticed that there wasn’t much crowd and the organisers were controlling the people inside, I decided to let them have fun,” said another parent, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
A large queue of kids and other fun-seekers waited to enter Shoprite in the state capital of Ikeja to enjoy some fun.
In the meantime, some individuals were stuck at the gate of Rafiu Jafojo Park in Lagos’ Shasha neighbourhood, claiming that the cost of admission had gone up.
It was discovered that adult tickets cost N1500, while children’s tickets cost N2000.
Major amusement parks and well-known shopping centres in Port Harcourt were packed with vacationers and fun seekers throughout the Christmas season.
There were hundreds of young people purchasing beverages and food at the Port Harcourt Pleasure Park along Aba Road, some of whom were accompanied by their parents.
Since the leisure centres were packed, children were also observed making the most of the amenities. However, government personnel stationed at key points implemented security measures, directing the fun seekers and facilitating their access and departure.
To avoid a rush, additional staff were employed to assist with ticket sales at the main gate.
Although fewer people came to shop at the multipurpose facility than at Christmas last year, there was sufficient crowd management at both gates of the Port Harcourt Mall along Azikiwe Road thanks to security personnel stationed throughout.
Emma, a customer who was shopping with two of his kids, claimed that despite the difficult economic climate, people would always manage to make ends meet.
“I was here last year and I believe it was higher than what we have here. However, people are still present, and the security setup is enough. It is evident that there is no need to hurry,” Emma said.
