By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
STAMPEDES IN Abuja, Anambra and Oyo states have claimed over 45 lives within a week in Nigeria in December.
These incidents are raising concerns about public event safety across the country and making the month a black December.
In Abuja, a stampede occurred during a food distribution exercise at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama on Saturday morning.
Ten people, including four children, have been reported to have lost their lives, while eight others sustained injuries.
Witnesses said the crowd had gathered as early as 5:00a.m., and chaos broke out by 6:30a.m.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Rapid Response Squad and Joint Task Force have so far evacuated over a thousand people from the scene.
The injured were rushed to hospitals, with four treated and discharged.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu, was said to have visited victims in the hospital.
FCT Police spokesperson, Superintendent Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident and reiterated the command’s condolences to the affected families.
Also in Okija, Anambra State, another stampede was reported on Saturday morning during a rice distribution exercise.
The incident reportedly left several women dead and others injured.
Videos showed bodies on the ground as some victims were rushed to nearby hospitals.
Reacting for the government, Charles Aburime, Chief Press Secretary to the Anambra State Governor, confirmed the incident and said they are monitoring the situation and will soon issue an official statement.
Days earlier in Ibadan, Oyo State, a children’s carnival at a funfair on Tuesday had resulted in the deaths of over 35 children, with six others critically injured.
Moreover, witnesses attributed the tragedy to poor planning and crowd control.
Following these tragedies however, the FCT Police Command has issued a directive for organisers of public events to notify the police in advance for adequate security arrangements.
The command warned that failure to comply will result in liability for any casualties arising from negligence.
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