Saturday May l7, 2025 |
Bukar Labddo, a 60-year-old man and two others have been confirmed dead, while 21 others sustained injuries during a stampede at a humanitarian cash distribution in Bama, Borno State.
The tragic incident occurred on 15 May at about 8am at Kasugula Primary School, one of the designated payment centres for a cash aid programme reportedly organised by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and UNICEF
According to counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, the crowd had gathered to receive a flat-rate payment of N28,500 when the situation spiralled out of control.
As the crowd swelled, people surged toward the school gate, triggering a stampede that left many trampled.
Those injured include Falmata Alhaji Modu, Falmata Modu, Tella Babagana Tujani, Bulama Yakime, Amina Mohammed, Mallam Akura, Fatima Bukar, Yagana Ibrahim, Fatima Mohammed, Fatima Abatcha, Zara Lawan, Inde Modu, and Aisha Abdullahi — all residents of Bama town.
Bukar Labddo, a resident of Bukar Tela Ward, was pronounced dead on arrival at the General Hospital in Bama.
Hospital sources confirmed that two other victims died while receiving treatment for their injuries.
Security personnel were quickly deployed to the scene to restore order and facilitate the evacuation of the injured to nearby medical facilities.
The body of the deceased man has been handed over to his family for burial according to Islamic rites.
As of the time of this report, the humanitarian agencies involved have not issued any official statement on the incident.
Efforts by SaharaReporters to also get the Borno State Police Command have not been successful as of press time.
