At least 10 dead in the capital Abuja and three dead in the city of Okija during charity distributions.
At least 13 people, including four children, were killed in two incidents in Nigeria when large crowds gathered to collect food and clothing to be distributed at annual Christmas events, police said.
At least 10 people died and many more were injured in the capital Abuja on Saturday during the distribution of charity gifts by the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama district.
“This unfortunate event, which occurred at around 6:30 a.m. (05:30 GMT), resulted in a stampede that left ten people, including four children, dead and eight other people injured to varying degrees,” said Josephine Adeh . a police spokesman.
In a separate incident in Okija, Anambra state, southern Nigeria, three people were killed in a crush at a charity event organized by a philanthropist, state police said.
“The event had not even started when the stampede began,” said police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga. He said there could be more deaths as officials investigate.
In both incidents, the victims were mostly women and children who were trampled as crowds tried to access food on offer.
A statement from President Bola Tinubu’s spokesman said the president canceled all his official events in Lagos on Saturday “in honor of the victims of the stampede.”
“In a time of joy and celebration, we mourn with our fellow citizens as they grieve the painful loss of their loved ones. Our prayers for divine comfort and healing are with them,” Tinubu said.
On Thursday, at least 32 people died in a similar incident at an Islamic high school in Ibadan, the capital of the southwestern state of Nigeria.
Africa’s most populous country is experiencing its worst cost of living crisis in decades as reforms introduced by Tinubu have cut electricity and fuel subsidies, while a devaluation has weakened the value of its currency.
Inflation rose to 34.6 percent on an annual basis in November from 33.88 percent in October, marking the third consecutive monthly increase.
Amnesty International Nigeria said in a statement on Saturday that for many Nigerians, “having ordinary rice at home is becoming a luxury.”
The UK-based human rights group called on authorities to conduct a prompt, thorough, independent and transparent investigation into how these charity events turned into a disaster.
