10 dead, 8 injured in Abuja stampede – Police

The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has confirmed 10 deaths in Saturday’s stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama area of Abuja.

A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT, SP Josephine Adeh, said four children were among those that died.

She said the stampede, which also left eight persons with varying degrees of injuries.

It occurred during the distribution of food items to vulnerable and elderly individuals in the church.

Adeh said four of the injured had been treated and discharged, while the remaining victims are currently receiving medical care.

Adeh said the incident took place around 6:30 a.m, adding that the Police Rapid Response Squad and the FCT Joint Task Force had successfully evacuated the remaining crowd, numbering over a thousand.

“The FCT Police Command extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and wishes a swift recovery to the injured.

“In a show of compassion and support, the Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Mr Olatunji Disu, has visited the victims in the hospital to offer assistance and reassurance during this difficult time,” she said.

Adeh said that the command had ordered organisations, religious bodies, groups, or individuals to notify the police when planning public events, charitable activities, or large gatherings in the FCT.

She said the notification was to enable the police to deploy adequate security measures for public safety.

According to her, failure to comply with this directive will result in the organisers being held liable for any incident or loss of life resulting from negligence.