Police arrest Abuja Catholic priest, church officials over fatal stampede

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested the parish priest and officials of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Abuja over their roles in a fatal stampede in the Nigerian capital.

Police said they were investigating the stampede in Abuja as well as two others in Anambra and Oyo.

At least 10 people died during distribution of groceries to poor people at the Abuja church’s car park on Saturday.

The arrest was first announced by a Catholic priest on Wednesday before the police confirmed the arrest to PREMIUM TIMES.

In a Christmas message titled “Christmas: A Season of Hope and Renewal,” the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Ignatius Kaigama, announced and condemned the arrest of the church officials, saying it is counterproductive and lacking empathy.

“It is, to say the least, uninspiring, unfriendly, and a misplaced zeal. One wonders what purpose these arrests were meant to serve,” Mr Kaigama said.

He urged authorities to assist the church and organisers in recovering from the trauma rather than threatening prosecution.

Police response

Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, the spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, Josephine Adeh, confirmed the arrests, citing negligence by the organisers.

“How can you organise an event of that magnitude without notifying the police? Ten lives, including children, were lost, and many others were injured. Doesn’t this warrant arrest?” she said.

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When pressed on whether the priest was among those detained, Ms Adeh said: “I cannot confirm if a priest was arrested, except if he was directly involved in the event’s organisation.”

PREMIUM TIMES reports that President Bola Tinubu earlier blamed the organisers of the separate events in Abuja, Oyo and Anambra for the fatal stampedes.

During his first presidential media chat on Monday, the president blamed poor planning by tne organisers for the tragedies.

“This is a grave error on the part of the organisers,” he said.

Over 60 people, including children, died in the three incidents.

The Abuja Stampede

Witnesses of the Abuja stampede said there was a crowd surge at one of the church’s gates as dozens tried to enter the premises around 4 a.m., hours before gift items were to be shared.

A survivor who spoke to this newspaper on condition of anonymity said the incident happened because many people refused to queue for the distribution.

READ ALSO: UPDATED: Tinubu blames organisers for fatal stampedes in Ibadan, Anambra, Abuja

A parish security official disclosed that over 3,000 people, mostly from nearby settlements such as Mpape and Gishiri, had gathered for the event.

Apart from those that died, many other people sustained injuries in the stampede.

On Monday, the Acting Director of FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD), Abdulrahman Mohammed, told journalists in Abuja that all the people who sustained injuries during the incident have been discharged from the hospital.

Following the incidents, the police issued new guidelines for organisers of large gatherings.