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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - A minimum of 13 individuals, consisting of 4 kids, were eliminated in two different stampedes in Nigeria as big crowds collected to collect food and clothing products distributed at annual Christmas occasions, the police stated Saturday.

The 2 accidents came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous country, amid a growing pattern by regional companies, churches and individuals to arrange fundraiser ahead of Christmas, as the country battles with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

Ten people were killed in the very first stampede in the early hours at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, an upmarket part of the capital, Abuja, cops spokesman Josephine Adeh said in a statement, adding that more than 1,000 individuals have actually been evacuated from the church.

There was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as dozens tried to go into the facilities at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift items were to be shared, witnesses stated, mentioning that some had been waiting because the previous night.

"The method they were hurrying to go into, some people were falling and a few of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he handled to save one baby as his mom had a hard time in the surge.

Three individuals passed away in a comparable crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity drive arranged by a benefactor, the state police stated.
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"The occasion had not even started when the rush began," cops spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There could be more deaths tape-recorded as officers investigate the incident, he said.

Viral footage that seemed from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies lying on the ground as people yelled for help. A few of the injured have been treated and released while others continue to get healthcare, authorities stated.

The church the charity drive with bags of rice and clothing items still arranged within the facilities.

As the church held a marital relationship event after the crowd was left, the pain and sadness remained palpable even as friends and families collected for wedding event images.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his sympathy with the victims' families and asked states and pertinent authorities to enforce strict crowd control steps.
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The current stampedes in Nigeria have raised questions about precaution in such events. Several kids were killed on Wednesday today when a local structure arranged a well-attended funfair to disperse gift items and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the current disaster, the police in Abuja revealed that previous authorization must be obtained before such charity occasions are arranged.

The current financial difficulty under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who guaranteed "restored hope" when he was sworn into workplace in May 2023, is blamed on rising inflation that is at a 28-year high and the government ´ s financial policies that have pressed the local currency to record low against the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has actually led to mass protests in recent months. In August, a minimum of 20 individuals were shot dead and numerous others were detained at demonstrations demanding much better opportunities and tasks for young people.