Three people lost their lives and 21 others were injured during a stampede that broke out at a cash distribution event in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.
According to Zagazola Makama, a platform that tracks counter-insurgency efforts in the Lake Chad region, the incident happened around 8 a.m. on Thursday at Kasugula Primary School, one of the locations where the money was being handed out.
The cash distribution was organized by the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) in partnership with the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Makama reported that each person was supposed to receive N28,500 as part of a humanitarian relief effort. But the situation got out of hand when the crowd surged toward the school gate, leading to a chaotic stampede.
Several people sustained injuries during the rush.
The publication identified those who sustained varying degrees of injuries to include Falmata Modu, Tella Tujani, Bulama Yakime, Amina Mohammed, Mallam Akura, Fatima Bukar, Yagana Ibrahim, Fatima Mohammed, Fatima Abatcha, Zara Lawan, Inde Modu, and Aisha Abdullahi.
One of the victims, a 60-year-old man named Bukar Labddo from Bukar Tela ward, died before he could receive treatment at the hospital. Two others died later while being treated for their injuries.
Security personnel have since been deployed to the scene to bring the situation under control. The bodies of the deceased have been handed over to their families for burial.
KanyiDaily had previously reported how a tragic stampede at a rice distribution event in Okija, Anambra state, left more than 20 people dead.