A TRAGIC stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, on Saturday, December 21, has left 10 people dead and four others injured.
The incident occurred during a special event organised by the church to distribute Christmas packages to less privileged residents in the nation’s capital.
An eyewitness confirmed that the stampede broke out when people in a large crowd were eager to receive the packages.
The crowd became chaotic, leading to the stampede and the eventual deaths.
A church member who spoke with The ICIR claimed that the police, who were invited to provide security during the event, arrived late, only showing up after the stampede had already occurred.
The incident raises another serious concern about crowd management and security protocols at public gatherings after a similar incident in Ibadan, Oyo State, earlier this week.
The Abuja stampede occurred a day after a similar occurrence in the Okija community of Anambra State, on Friday, December 20, during a rice distribution event, which resulted in the deaths of an unconfirmed number of residents, mostly women.
Video footage of the deaths on social media showed lifeless bodies on the ground, with some victims being rushed to nearby hospitals.
The Anambra State Government has since confirmed the incident, noting that it had launched an investigation into the cause of the stampede.
These two incidents followed another tragic stampede in Oyo State earlier in the week, where 35 children died during a Christmas funfair in the Bashorun District of Ibadan.
Over 5,000 children had attended the event, drawn by promises of cash and free food.
Six children were hospitalised as a result of the stampede, and eight people, including event organiser, Naomi Silekunola, a former wife of the Ooni of Ife, were arrested in connection with the tragedy.
The ICIR reports that these series of incidents have led to outrages on social media, with the Nigerian government and the police under pressure to ensure that better safety measures are put in place to prevent such incidents from occurring.
The incidents also arise from pervasive hunger in the country, ocassioned by the policies of President Bola Tinubu’s government.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M