…Dismisses Claims Of Church Negligence
His Grace, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, has dismissed claims by some person saying that it was negligence by the Church that led to the tragic stampede at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, during a food distribution exercise on December 21, 2024.
Speaking during a memorial Mass for the victims, Archbishop Kaigama emphasized that the annual charity outreach organized by the St. Vincent de Paul Society, had been successfully conducted for decades without incident.
The 2024 tragedy, he explained, was a consequence of the worsening economic hardship in Nigeria, which saw an unprecedented turnout of over 5,000 people in desperate need of food and essentials.
“It was not because we were negligent that they came; it was because they were hungry,” the Archbishop maintained, adding that “If you are looking for a culprit, cast your eyes elsewhere—certainly not the Catholic Church.”
Archbishop Kaigama underscored the Church’s long-standing commitment to humanitarian efforts, noting that the Catholic Church remains the world’s largest non-governmental provider of healthcare and social services.
He however called for enhanced crowd control measures in future distributions and urged government collaboration in addressing the underlying causes of hunger and poverty.
The Archbishop later declared the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Moses Jimbili, the President of St. Vincent de Paul of Maitama Parish, Ms Juliet Onwuemelia and their team as Heroes and Heroines of 2024 for their selfless dedication to the poor.