13 People Including Children Die in Stampedes In Nigeria At

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) – A minimum of 13 people, consisting of 4 children, were eliminated in 2 separate stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to collect food and clothing products distributed at yearly Christmas events, the police said Saturday.

The two accidents came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populated country, in the middle of a growing trend by local companies, churches and individuals to arrange charity drive ahead of Christmas, as the nation deals with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

Ten people were eliminated in the very first stampede in the early hours at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, an upmarket part of the capital, Abuja, cops representative Josephine Adeh said in a statement, adding that more than 1,000 people have been left from the church.

There was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as dozens attempted to go into the premises at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift items were to be shared, witnesses stated, mentioning that some had actually been waiting since the previous night.

“The method they were hurrying to enter, some individuals were falling and some of them were old,” Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he managed to save one child as his mom struggled in the surge.

Three individuals died in a comparable crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state’s Okija town at a charity occasion organized by a philanthropist, the state police stated.

“The occasion had not even begun when the rush began,” authorities representative Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There could be more deaths tape-recorded as officers investigate the event, he said.

Viral footage that seemed from the Abuja scene revealed lifeless bodies resting on the ground as people screamed for assistance. Some of the hurt have been dealt with and discharged while others continue to get medical care, cops stated.

The church canceled the fundraiser with bags of rice and clothing items still organized within the premises.

As the church held a wedding after the crowd was left, the agony and unhappiness remained palpable even as families and friends gathered for wedding .

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu revealed his sympathy with the victims’ families and asked states and relevant authorities to impose rigorous crowd control procedures.

The current stampedes in Nigeria have raised concerns about precaution in such events. Several kids were eliminated on Wednesday today when a regional structure organized a well-attended funfair to distribute gift products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the current disaster, the cops in Abuja revealed that prior authorization must be acquired before such charity drive are arranged.

The current financial challenge under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who promised “renewed hope” when he was sworn into office in May 2023, is blamed on surging inflation that is at a 28-year high and the federal government ´ s financial policies that have pushed the local currency to tape-record low against the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has actually caused mass protests in recent months. In August, a minimum of 20 people were shot dead and numerous others were jailed at demonstrations requiring better chances and jobs for young individuals.