The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested the parish priest and several officials from the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Abuja following a deadly stampede that occurred during a charitable event.
The stampede, which took place on Saturday in the church’s car park, was part of a grocery distribution for the needy and led to the deaths of at least 10 people.
Initial reports about the arrests were confirmed by a Catholic priest on Wednesday, followed by an official statement from the police.
Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of the Abuja Diocese later condemned the actions in a Christmas message, calling the arrests “counterproductive” and expressing his concern about the lack of compassion behind the decision.
He urged authorities to support the church and the families affected by the tragedy rather than resorting to legal action.
Josephine Adeh, spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, justified the arrests, citing negligence by the event organisers.
She questioned how such a large-scale event could be held without notifying the police, emphasizing the loss of 10 lives, including children, and numerous injuries. “Doesn’t this warrant arrest?” she asked.
While Adeh did not confirm whether the priest was among those detained, she stated that anyone directly involved in organising the event could be held accountable.
President Bola Tinubu also commented on the incident, criticizing the organisers of the events in Abuja, Oyo, and Anambra states for their poor planning.
He called the tragedies a “grave error” on their part during his first presidential media briefing.
Altogether, over 60 people have died in the three stampedes.
In the case of the Abuja incident, witnesses reported chaos as people rushed to enter the church premises around 4 am Many attendees refused to form an orderly queue, leading to the surge of people at one of the church gates.
A security official stated that more than 3,000 people, mostly from nearby areas like Mpape and Gishiri, had gathered for the event.
In addition to the fatalities, several others were injured in the stampede.
Abdulrahman Mohammed, the Acting Director of the FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD), confirmed that all injured individuals have now been discharged from the hospital.
Following the incidents, the police have introduced new guidelines for organisers of large gatherings.
