Tragedy struck again as no fewer than 10 people lost their lives, and many others were injured during a stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, on Saturday morning. The chaos unfolded during the distribution of food items meant for vulnerable and elderly individuals. What should have been an act of charity turned into a devastating disaster.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, FCT Command, SP Josephine Adeh, the stampede occurred at around 6:30 AM and claimed the lives of 10 individuals, including four children. Eight others sustained varying degrees of injuries. The FCT Rapid Response Squad and the Joint Task Force managed to evacuate over a thousand people from the scene, but the damage had already been done.
Four of the injured victims have reportedly been treated and discharged, while others are still receiving medical attention. The Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu, visited the hospitalized victims to show solidarity and offer reassurance.
Does this incident sound familiar? It should. Only recently, in Ibadan, over 35 children died when adults hijacked a children’s event because of free food. And just this morning, in Okija, Anambra State, a similar food distribution led to a stampede, leaving more casualties. These are not isolated incidents, they are glaring symptoms of a deeper problem—crippling poverty and desperation.
The police have now mandated that all public events, charitable activities, or large gatherings in the FCT must be reported to them in advance. The idea is to deploy adequate security measures to prevent such tragedies. Organizers who fail to comply will be held accountable for any loss of life or injuries.
“This notification is crucial for the deployment of adequate security measures to ensure public safety and prevent avoidable tragedies.
“Failure to comply with this directive will result in the organizers being held liable for any incidents or loss of life resulting from negligence,” the statement added.
While this directive may seem like a step forward, it does little to address the root cause of these tragedies. The harsh reality is that Nigerians are struggling for survival. Poverty and economic hardship have turned simple acts of charity into deadly free-for-alls.
To the government, are you paying attention? This is what grinding poverty does to your citizens. When desperation meets inadequate planning, the results are always catastrophic. Until the government addresses the systemic issues that keep millions of Nigerians in poverty, tragedies like this will keep repeating themselves.
