A tragic incident unfolded on Saturday morning at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, where a stampede during a palliative distribution resulted in the deaths of 10 individuals, including four children, and left several others injured.
The chaos erupted as thousands of vulnerable and elderly residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) rushed to access food items provided by the church.
The FCT Police Command confirmed the fatalities in a statement from its spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, who reported that eight additional individuals sustained injuries in the incident. Four of the injured have since been treated and discharged, while the remaining victims are currently receiving medical care.
The police expressed their condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wished a swift recovery to the injured.
“This tragic event, which occurred around 6:30 am, led to a stampede that claimed the lives of ten individuals, including four children, and left eight others with varying degrees of injuries,” the statement read.
To prevent similar incidents in the future, the FCT Police Command has mandated that all organizations, religious bodies, groups, or individuals planning public events, charitable activities, or large gatherings in the FCT must notify the Police Command in advance.
This directive aims to ensure the deployment of adequate security measures to safeguard public safety and prevent avoidable tragedies.
“Failure to comply with this directive will result in organizers being held liable for any incident or loss of life due to their negligence,” Adeh added.
