Authorities have urged calm following a tragic stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, on Saturday morning, where food items were being distributed to vulnerable and elderly individuals.
The incident, which occurred around 6:30 a.m., claimed the lives of at least 10 people, including four children, and left eight others injured, according to SP Josephine Adeh, the Police Public Relations Officer of the FCT Police Command. Four victims have been treated and discharged, while others remain hospitalized.
The FCT Police Rapid Response Squad and the FCT Joint Task Force successfully evacuated over 1,000 people from the scene after the chaos erupted. Commissioner of Police Olatunji Disu has visited the victims in the hospital to offer support and reassurance during this difficult time.
The FCT Police Command expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and committed to ensuring such incidents do not recur. Moving forward, all organizations, religious groups, or individuals planning public gatherings or charitable events in the FCT must notify the police in advance to enable the deployment of security measures. Failure to comply will result in the organizers being held accountable for any negligence leading to loss of life or injuries.
This tragedy follows a similar stampede in Ibadan, Oyo State, where at least 35 children died, and six others were critically injured during a children’s funfair earlier in the week.
Authorities emphasize the need for stricter event planning protocols to prevent avoidable losses in the future.
