afrol News, 14 July - Job stampedes and military-style drilling were responsible for the death of at least 20 people in four states in Nigeria, with Kaduna and Illorin each registering eight deaths.

More than 130,000 young men and women applied for Nigeria's Immigration Service's nationwide 1,260 slots.

In Kaduna, 10 applicants were hospitalized during the drilling and the long distance race they conducted in a very hot and humid weather condition - key requirements of the physical fitness test. The tests, initially scheduled for 6 am, were delayed until 2 pm. This would not prevent thousands of hungry applicants from carrying out the physical test, which included drill and the 2.3 kilometre race, amid hunger and dehydration.

Confirmed reports said seven people died during the military drilling exercise while several others were rushed to the hospital after collapsing.

In most cases, thousands of applicants with Ordinary National Diploma and National Certificate of Education were eager to arrive at the recruitment centers. The stampede resulted when some applicants jumped the queue in their effort to screen themselves.

Relatives of the victims blamed the government for not taking the right precautions to avoid fatalities in job recruitment procedures.

A sister to Malam Nasiru Mohammed who died in the exercise said "it is only the poor who are allowed to go through such pathetic situation while the rich have it all the easy way."

"It is unfortunate that it is the children of the masses that face this kind of problems. Imagine that you are asked to look for job not to be idle, only for you to apply and lose your life during the interview," Ramatu Mohammed Barakallahu told "Daily Trust'.

"Our children could not have good education because of the poor state of our schools while the children of the rich attend the best of schools abroad. Even after struggling through school you have unemployment starring you in the face and when you finally think succour has come to provide you with employment, the recruitment leads you to your grave. That is the pathetic story of the poor in our country," she said with running tears.

In Ilorin where only 70 candidates would be employed in both immigration and prison services, eight applicants, including four females died during the exercise.

Nigeria, Africa's second oil producer after Angola, has a population of over 140 million. Despite possessing abundant natural natural and human resources, poverty still bites majority of Nigerians. Most people said high level corruption with the government circle is responsible for the vast West African country's economic hurdles.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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