The police have confirmed the death of 10 people and several others injured during a stampede at a Catholic Church in Abuja, the nation’s capital, on Saturday December 21.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command said the people died following a stampede that occurred when the authorities of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in the Maitama District of the territory, were distributing food items to the elderly and vulnerable.
Josephine Adeh, a superintendent of police and spokesperson for the command, said in a statement that the unfortunate event took place at about 6.30 a.m. resulting in a stampede that claimed the lives of 10 individuals, including four children and left eight others with varying degrees of injuries.
She also said four of the injured persons have been treated and discharged, while the remaining victims continue to receive medical care.
“This unfortunate event, which took place around 6:30 a.m., resulted in a stampede that claimed the lives of ten (10) individuals, including four (4) children, and left eight (8) others with varying degrees of injuries. Four (4) of the injured have been treated and discharged, while the remaining victims continue to receive medical care.
“The FCT Police Rapid Response Squad and the FCT Joint Task Force have successfully evacuated the remaining crowd, which numbered over a thousand,” she said.
Ms Adeh said the FCT Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, “has visited the victims in the hospital to offer assistance and reassurance during this difficult time.”
New measures
The police spokesperson asked individuals, religious bodies and other organisations to involve the security agencies henceforth in organising such events.
She said, “To prevent such tragic incidents in the future, the Command mandates that all organisations, religious bodies, groups, or individuals planning public events, charitable activities, or large gatherings in the FCT must notify the Police Command in advance.
“This notification is crucial for the deployment of adequate security measures to ensure public safety and prevent avoidable tragedies.
“Failure to comply with this directive will result in the organisers being held liable for any incidents or loss of life resulting from negligence.”
Ms Adeh said the police command “remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding lives and property in the territory,” just as she “urged the public to collaborate with the police by adhering to these guidelines and promptly reporting emergencies through the FCT Control Room at 0803 200 3913 or 0806 032 1234.”
Emergency agency speaks on disaster
The FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) also confirmed the death of 10 persons but said nine others were injured as against eight stated by the police.
Nkechi Isa, the spokesperson for the department, said nine of those injured have been discharged from the hospital.
“The stampede occurred while the church was distributing palliatives to the less privileged members of the society. The unfortunate incident occurred at 6.30 a.m. today. Nine of the injured persons who were taken to Maitama District Hospital have been discharged,” she said.
The spokesperson quoted the agency’s Director General, Abdulrahman Mohammed, as appealing to organisations that intend to give food items to the less privileged to involve security agencies or FEMD. He further appealed to residents to use the 112 emergency toll-free number in the event of any disaster.
The agency commiserated with the Catholic church and family members of the stampede victims.
How incident happened
Nigerian newspaper, Premium Times, gave a vivid account of how the incident happened.
A survivor told the newspaper during a visit to the Holy Trinity Church that chaos broke out at about 6 a.m. when thousands of residents scrambled to receive relief items.
“We came in the morning to collect rice and clothes at the parish car park, but people started forcing their way instead of queuing,” he said.
Also, a security officer at the church said over 3,000 people, including children, mainly from nearby settlements such as Mpape and Gishiri Village, had gathered for the event. He said many of them scrambled to get the items when the incident happened.
The newspaper said shoes and clothes of some of the victims littered the car park where the distribution of the relief materials held.
About Holy Trinity Church
Located on Aguiyi-Ironsi Way in the high-brow Maitama District of Abuja, the Holy Trinity Catholic Church is one of the biggest parishes in the Nigerian capital. It was established in 1997 and currently has a congregation of about 7,000 parishioners. The church runs five masses on Sundays and three masses on Mondays to Saturdays.
Similar incidents
The Abuja incident occurred the same day a similar one happened in Okija, a community in Anambra State, South East Nigeria. Police said 22 people died in the stampede that followed the distribution of relief materials to the poor.
Report said residents had gone to take part in the sharing of bags of rice donated by a philanthropist through a foundation when the incident happened.
Few days earlier, 35 people, mostly children, died during a stampede at a carnival in Ibadan, Oyo State in the south-western part of the country.
