- Event Suspended, Crowd Dispersed by Security Agents
By Kolawole Ojebisi
This year’s Christmas celebration may go down as a catastrophic one in the history of Nigeria.
This is as events lined up to celebrate it have been marked with preventable fatalities across the country.
This latest being the deaths of at least 10 people, including children during a stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, on Saturday morning.
Several people also reportedly sustained varying degrees of injury during the stampede.
The incident occurred as thousands of residents scrambled to receive palliatives distributed by the church.
The event, organised to provide relief to struggling residents, drew over 3,000 people, mostly from Mpape, Gishiri Village, and other nearby settlements.
The National Director of Social Communications at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Padre Mike Nsikak Umoh, confirmed the tragic development, noting the suspension of the palliative distribution.
“Yes it’s true but with sketchy details,” he said.
An eyewitness described the scene as chaotic and tragic, revealing that at least seven of the deceased were children.
Many attendees arrived as early as 4:00 AM, hoping to secure their share of the palliatives. The stampede occurred between 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM when the crowd surged forward.
“10 people have been reported dead, including children. We just received a call that they have passed on.
“Over 3,000 people came out to receive the palliative. It’s unfortunate. Some of them arrived as early as 4:00 AM. Most of those present were residents of Mpape, Gishiri Village, and other nearby settlements.
“The stampede occurred between 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM. The distribution of palliatives has been suspended indefinitely, and people are dispersing. May God receive the souls of the departed and protect us from harm,” the eyewitness, a mother of five, said.
The New Diplomat gathered that in response to the chaos, a combined team of police, military, and DSS officers was deployed to restore order and disperse the crowd.
The church premises, initially filled with anxious beneficiaries, gradually cleared as security personnel enforced the suspension.
This tragedy mirrors a similar incident that occurred just days earlier in Ibadan, Oyo State, where a stampede at a children’s funfair resulted in the deaths of at least 35 children and left many others critically injured.
The event, held at the Islamic High School in Bashorun, Ibadan, attracted over 5,000 children and turned fatal when attendees rushed to receive food and gifts distributed by the organizers.
The organisers of the event had since been arrested.
