A tragic stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, has claimed the lives of at least 10 people, including seven children. The incident happened on the morning of December 21, 2024, during a grocery distribution event organized by the church to support poor residents struggling with Nigeria’s worst cost-of-living crisis.

Thousands of people, desperate for relief, gathered at the church as early as 4:00 AM to secure their share of the groceries. Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with the stampede occurring between 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM when the crowd surged forward. The National Director of Social Communications at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Padre Mike Nsikak Umoh, confirmed the tragedy and announced that the distribution had been suspended. Security forces, including police, military, and DSS officers, were deployed to control the situation and restore order.

This heartbreaking incident mirrors a similar tragedy in Ibadan, Oyo State, just days earlier. There, a stampede at a children’s funfair resulted in the deaths of 35 children and left six others critically injured. These back-to-back disasters have raised concerns about poor crowd control and the safety of public events.

President Bola Tinubu has responded by suspending all official engagements in Lagos on December 21, including the 2024 Lagos Boat Regatta, to honor the victims of the Abuja and Anambra stampedes. The president also urged state governments to enforce stricter safety measures at public gatherings to prevent such incidents in the future.

Following the Abuja tragedy, the police announced that organizers must now obtain prior permission before holding charity events to ensure proper planning and crowd management. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s worsening economic hardship, marked by soaring inflation and a weak currency, continues to fuel frustration, leaving many residents desperate for aid.