No one needs to die from hunger, says Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. Source: Crux.
He was speaking at Mass on Sunday, referring to the deaths of at least 10 people following a stampede on December 21 at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in the Maitama district of Abuja.
More than a thousand people were evacuated from the church after the stampede.
Across Nigeria, about 70 people died at similar events giving food to the nation’s hungry population.
The St Vincent de Paul Society organised the December 21 event.
The Archbishop said the distribution of charity at “Holy Trinity Metropolitan in 2024 witnessed an unprecedented turnout of about 5000 needy and vulnerable individuals, certainly due to the heightened economic hardship affecting many families in the country.
“It was not because we were negligent that they came,” he said.
However, Archbishop Kaigama complained that some people had accused the Church of negligence in running the event, which he denied.
“It was because they were hungry that they came. And their hunger is not the fault of the Catholic Church. If you are looking for a culprit, please cast your eyes elsewhere,” he said.
“Certainly not the Catholic Church. The large crowd outside the church premises created pressure and panic. This led to a struggle as individuals scrambled to gain entry through the church gate, resulting in fatalities and injuries.”
The United Nations last year warned record inflation, climate shocks and ongoing conflicts are projected to push the number of food-insecure people in Nigeria to 33 million in 2025.
Speaking at his Mass, Archbishop Kaigama said no one should be allowed to die a needless death simply struggling for food.
He said the Church wanted to prevent tragedies similar to what happened before Christmas.
“We are certainly learning, but remember, we have done this for many, many years without any incident of this nature.
“However, that it has happened means that it can happen again, so we must take adequate measures to ensure that this does not occur again,” the Archbishop said.
FULL STORY
Nigerian archbishop says no one should die because they are hungry (Crux)
