At least 13 people were killed in two separate crowd crush incidents in Nigeria on Saturday. The tragic events, which involved mostly women and children, occurred during charity distributions.
In Abuja, the capital, at least 10 people died in a stampede early in the morning. The chaotic scene unfolded as hundreds scrambled for gifts at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama. Police spokesperson Josephine Adeh confirmed that four of the victims were children, with eight others sustaining injuries.
Meanwhile, in Okija, a town in Anambra state, a similar disaster struck after a local figure distributed gifts including rice, vegetable oil, and money. Although state police confirmed three fatalities, eyewitnesses and Amnesty International reported that the toll could be as high as 20, with many others injured.
The victims in both cases were predominantly women and children, caught in the frenzied crush to claim provisions. These incidents are part of a troubling pattern of fatal crowd disasters in Nigeria.
Just days earlier, on Thursday, 32 people died in a similar incident at an Islamic high school in Ibadan, located in Nigeria’s southwest.
The country is grappling with its worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. Economic reforms by President Bola Tinubu have led to rising inflation and reduced subsidies on fuel and electricity, further straining the population. In November, inflation surged to 34.6%, up from 33.9% the previous month.
Amnesty International Nigeria has called for a swift and thorough investigation into these deadly charity events, urging authorities to ensure such tragedies are not repeated.
