Controversy Erupts: Archbishop Decries Police Action Against Bishop And Others After Abuja Stampede

The police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have arrested several Catholic church officials in connection with the deadly stampede that occurred during a food distribution event over the weekend, which claimed the lives of 10 people.

According to Daily Trust, those arrested on Monday morning have been taken into custody. The arrests followed demands from the Islamic activist group, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), for the apprehension of those responsible for the stampede, as well as for a similar incident in Okija, Anambra State, where 22 people died at a billionaire businessman’s residence.

MURIC also called for the release of individuals arrested and detained in connection with a similar tragic charity event in Ibadan, Oyo State, if the same treatment wasn’t applied to those involved in the Abuja and Anambra incidents.

In response to the arrests, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, condemned what he termed the “verbal demonization of the Catholic Church” by certain government agents in their handling of the tragedy at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama.

Kaigama criticized the detention of church officials and the threat of criminal charges, describing these actions as “uninspiring, unfriendly, and a misplaced zeal,” questioning their intended purpose. In a Christmas message titled “Christmas: A Season of Hope and Renewal,” the Archbishop urged the government to focus on helping both the church and event organizers overcome their trauma, rather than exacerbating it with arrests and the threat of prosecution.

Meanwhile, FCT police spokeswoman, SP Adeh Josephine, stated that some key individuals involved in organizing the food distribution event were invited for questioning and later released. She explained that the purpose of the invitation was to gain a better understanding of the circumstances leading to the tragic stampede.

“An invitation regarding a tragedy of this magnitude is not out of place. We are addressing the loss of human lives, which, in both religious and moral terms, are sacred,” she said.