Ten people, including four children, were killed in a stampede in Nigeria's capital when a crowd gathered to collect food supplies from a local church during a Christmas event, police said Saturday.
The stampede occurred in the early hours of the morning at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, an upscale part of Abuja, police spokesperson Josephine Adeh said in a statement, adding that more than 1,000 people were evacuated from the church.
What appeared to be viral footage from the scene showed lifeless bodies lying on the ground and people screaming for help.
Some of the injured have been treated and released while others are still receiving medical attention, Adeh said.
It is the second such stamp in a week in Africa's most populous country as local groups, churches and individuals organize charity events ahead of Christmas amid the spending crisis. worst living in the country in a generation.
The recent stampedes in Nigeria have raised questions about safety measures in such incidents. Several children were killed earlier this week when a local foundation organized a sports fair to distribute gift items to children in south-west Oyo state.
After the latest tragedy, the police in Abuja announced that prior permission must be obtained before organizing such charity events.
The current economic hardship under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who promised “renewed hope” when he was sworn into office in May 2023, has been blamed on rising inflation is at the height of 28 years and the economic policies of the government that have pushed the local currency. to register low against the dollar.
Frustration over the cost of living crisis has led to mass protests in recent months. In August, at least 20 people were killed and hundreds more arrested during a protest demanding better opportunities and jobs for young people.
In 2022, a stamped at a church charity event in southern Nigeria left 31 people dead and seven wounded, police told The Associated Press, a shocking development at a program aimed at giving hope to the needy. One witness said that the dead included a pregnant woman and many children.
