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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - A minimum of 13 individuals, consisting of 4 children, were killed in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as big crowds collected to gather food and clothes products distributed at annual Christmas events, the authorities said Saturday.

The 2 mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populated nation, amid a growing pattern by local organizations, churches and individuals to arrange charity drive ahead of Christmas, as the country deals with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
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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, Abuja, police spokesman Josephine Adeh said in a declaration, adding that more than 1,000 people have been evacuated from the church.

There was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as lots tried to enter the premises at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift items were to be shared, witnesses stated, pointing out that some had been waiting since the previous night.

"The way they were rushing to go into, some individuals were falling and a few of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a . Inyang stated he managed to save one baby as his mother had a hard time in the rise.

Three people passed away in a comparable crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity event arranged by a philanthropist, the state authorities stated.

"The occasion had actually not even started when the rush started," police representative Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There might be more deaths taped as officers investigate the event, he stated.

Viral video footage that seemed from the Abuja scene revealed lifeless bodies lying on the ground as individuals screamed for assistance. A few of the hurt have been treated and released while others continue to receive treatment, authorities stated.

The church canceled the fundraiser with bags of rice and clothing products still set up within the facilities.

As the church held a marriage event after the crowd was left, the pain and sadness stayed palpable even as households and good friends gathered for wedding event pictures.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his compassion with the victims' families and asked states and pertinent authorities to enforce rigorous crowd control procedures.

The current stampedes in Nigeria have raised questions about precaution in such events. Several kids were killed on Wednesday today when a regional foundation arranged a well-attended funfair to distribute present products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the current catastrophe, the police in Abuja announced that prior approval needs to be acquired before such fundraiser are arranged.
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The current economic hardship under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who promised "renewed hope" when he was sworn into office in May 2023, is blamed on rising inflation that is at a 28-year high and the federal government ´ s financial policies that have actually pressed the regional currency to record low versus the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has actually resulted in mass protests in recent months. In August, at least 20 people were shot dead and hundreds of others were apprehended at protests requiring better chances and tasks for young individuals.