Nigeria: Two stampedes leave over a dozen dead

Crowd stampedes in Nigeria left at least 13 people dead, including children, authorities said on Saturday.

The incidents took place when large crowds gathered in the capital, Abuja, and the southern town of Okija to collect food and clothing items distributed at annual Christmas events, the police said.

It comes just days after 35 children died during a stampede at a school fair in the southwestern part of the country, where police officials believe the distribution of food and gifts led to the crush.

"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 regarding the incident on Saturday.

Tinubu expressed sympathy with the victims' families and urged the relevant authorities to enforce strict crowd control measures, as the recent stampedes in Nigeria have raised questions about safety measures at such events.

Crowd gathered overnight

Abuja, police spokesman Josephine Adeh said in a statement said ten people were killed in the first stampede in the early hours at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, an upmarket part of the capital. 

Many had gathered overnight in anticipation of the giveaways, a food distribution drive for "vulnerable and elderly people." 

The crowd surge occurred at one of the church gates as dozens tried to enter the premises at around 4 a.m. local time, hours before the gift items were to be shared.

In Okija, the stampede occurred during a community center food distribution drive that was handing out rice, authorities there said.

jcg/kb (AP, AFP)