Several killed in Nigeria by crowd stampedes

Police say that ten people were killed in Abuja and “many others” in Okija

By AFP
December 22, 2024
This aerial photograph shows a general view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the incident occurred. —AFP/File
This aerial photograph shows a general view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the incident occurred. —AFP/File

LAGOS: Several people were killed or injured after crowd stampedes Saturday in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, and in the southern town of Okija, the Nigerian president’s office said.

“President Bola Tinubu cancelled all his official events in Lagos today, including his attendance at the 2024 Lagos Boat Regatta in honour of the stampede victims,” said a statement from his spokesman. Police said that ten people were killed in Abuja and “many others” in Okija. At least four children were among those killed in Abuja, police spokesperson Josephine Adeh added.

The stampede occurred outside the Maitama Holy Trinity Catholic Church, where a food distribution drive for “vulnerable and elderly people” was underway, police said.The chaotic crowds in Okija also occurred during a community centre food distribution drive that was handing out rice, said Ngozi Echeazu, an official with the National Emergency Management Agency in the south.