A tragedy struck during the “Christ the King Sunday” procession at Christ the King Catholic (CKC) Church in Aba, Abia State, as two elderly women lost their lives, and several others were injured due to overcrowding during the event.
The annual procession, celebrated by the Roman Catholic and Lutheran Churches to honor the kingship of Jesus Christ, was organized by the Catholic Diocese of Aba and drew a large crowd of worshippers from various urban parishes.
The gathering, held at the CKC premises along Asa Road, quickly turned chaotic as the massive crowd overflowed into the church’s gate area, causing significant congestion.
Eyewitnesses reported that two elderly women from Holy Cross Parish in Aba collapsed in the crowd and were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they were later confirmed dead.
It is suspected that suffocation from the overcrowding may have led to their deaths. Several children who fainted during the procession were also taken to a private hospital for treatment.
Modestus Kalu, a Catholic faithful, expressed his shock and grief, noting that while fainting incidents have occurred in past processions, this was the first time such fatalities had been reported.
He called for decentralization of the procession in the future to prevent similar incidents.
“The overcrowding made the environment unbearable. Many people with health conditions were affected. The Church should have anticipated such problems and taken preventive measures. No one should die in such avoidable circumstances,” Kalu said, urging the Diocese to consider organizing smaller, localized processions at parish levels to reduce the risk of overcrowding.
Another eyewitness mentioned that priests had warned their parishioners, particularly those who were unwell, to avoid attending the procession due to the large crowd.
“The crowd was overwhelming, but the event took place in an open area, which allowed for some airflow. While accidents can happen anywhere, we must prioritize safety,” the eyewitness commented.
A local resident, David Onyeka, questioned the significance of the procession, asking whether it was truly spiritual or just a social event.
Efforts to reach the Bishop of Aba Diocese, Prof. Augustine Echema, for comment were unsuccessful.
However, a senior church leader assured that the Diocese would take steps to assist the victims’ families and reassess how future processions are organized to ensure the safety of participants.
This is the first of such incident during the “Christ the King” procession in the Diocese.
