Tinubu Suspends Engagements Following Food Stampedes In Anambra And Abuja That Left 39 Dead

The deadly stampedes occurred as residents struggled to get ahead and secure free food items, trampling one another in the process. In Abuja, 10 people were confirmed dead, while 29 fatalities were reported in Anambra.

These incidents follow a similar tragedy in Ibadan, Oyo State, where 35 children were killed and several others critically injured during a funfair on December 18, 2024, at the Islamic High School in the Bashorun district of Ibadan.

In Abuja, the stampede took place at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, during an annual charity event. The event, organized by Catholic Church parishes, was intended to distribute foodstuffs to the poor and vulnerable in the community. The incident occurred around 6 a.m. on Saturday.

An eyewitness, who identified himself as John, reported that the crowd was orderly until around 5 a.m. when the number of people began to increase significantly. He explained, “Many people came from Mararaba, Nyanya, and Mpape areas to benefit from the church’s food distribution. The church didn’t anticipate such a large turnout. Despite having two security personnel, they couldn’t manage the crowd effectively. Initially, everything was fine, but as dawn broke, the crowd doubled. People became desperate to get the rice, and soon, pushing and shoving began. Before we knew it, we heard cries for help from those who had fallen or been injured. The police arrived to help the injured and disperse the crowd.”

Reverend Father Mike Umoh, the National Director of Social Communications at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, expressed sorrow over the incident, stating that the parish might have been overwhelmed by the large turnout. He added that the church had never experienced such an event in the years the outreach has been held.

Father Umoh also stressed that this tragic event should serve as a reminder for other event organizers to improve crowd control measures. He confirmed the deaths, stating, “Yes, it is true that a sad incident occurred during the charity outreach at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama. This outreach has been a long-standing tradition in nearly every parish in Nigeria, especially the larger ones. People often look out for the day and spread the word.”

He also pointed out that the stampede highlighted the widespread hunger in the country. The Police Public Relations Officer of the FCT Command, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed that 10 people died in the incident, with eight others injured and taken to a hospital for treatment.