Sat Dec 21 18:17:32 UTC 2024: ## Stampede at Nigerian Charity Events Leaves 13 Dead
**Abuja, Nigeria –** At least 13 people, including four children, have died in stampedes at two separate charity events in Nigeria, police have confirmed. The tragedies, occurring amidst the country’s worsening cost-of-living crisis, have prompted national mourning and calls for investigations.
In Abuja, the nation’s capital, at least 10 people perished in a stampede on Saturday morning outside the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama. A police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, stated that the crush occurred around 6:30 am as a large crowd gathered for a Christmas charity distribution. Eight others sustained injuries.
A similar incident unfolded in Okija, Anambra State, where three people died in a crush at a philanthropic event. Anambra State police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga reported that the stampede began even before the event officially commenced. He added that further casualties are possible.
Both incidents involved mostly women and children who were trampled as people scrambled for food and clothing. President Bola Tinubu cancelled all his official engagements in Lagos on Saturday to honor the victims, expressing grief and offering prayers.
These deaths follow a similar tragedy on Thursday in Ibadan, Oyo State, where at least 32 people died in a stampede at an Islamic high school.
The incidents have highlighted the desperate conditions facing many Nigerians, who are grappling with soaring inflation (currently at 34.6 percent annually) and the removal of fuel and electricity subsidies. Amnesty International Nigeria has described the situation, noting that even basic necessities like rice are becoming unaffordable for many. The organization has called for thorough investigations into the charity event disasters.
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