10 slump, 1 dies during celebration in Abuja

No fewer than 11 female members of the aid group of the Young Muslim Congress of Nigeria (YMCN) slumped, and one died during Eid el Maulud celebration in Abuja on Tuesday.

The event organisers said the incident was caused by logistics problem.

Thousands of Muslim fai thful comprising students of Islamiyah schools, members of the First Aid group and others from various parts of the FCT matched through some Abuja streets for the celebration.

Malama Sajida Bala Abdullahi, a female discipline officer of the group in charge of Kuje Area Council, said the dead member was  as Asma’u , a 20-year-old from from Kuje.

“We started the procession from Mabushi in the morning and headed to the event’s venue in company of other members of our first aid group and others,” she told the Daily Trust.

“It was when I got to the venue that I learnt that Asma’u slumped along the way and was confirmed dead.’’

The other ten were however revived.

The organising committee Chairman of the procession, Dr Adamu Muhammadu Inuwa, told Daily Trust that the event originally scheduled to end at 2pm ended earlier because of the incidents.

Malam Muhammad Abani, treasurer of Jama’atu Ahbabul Rasul, Abuja branch, attributed the incidents to logistics hitches.

“The procession started around 7am when some of the participants did not have their breakfast and many of them were kept standing in the sun waiting for their turns to proceed to the venue,” he added.