From Paul Orude Bauchi
The death toll from Sunday’s stampede in Bauchi at an event for the distribution of Zakaat, otherwise known as alms, by AYM Shafa Foundation, has risen to eight.
This was confirmed by the Chairman of Zakat Distribution, Professor Ahmed Mohammed, in an interview with journalists, on Monday.
Mohammed, a professor of Animal Science, disclosed that about N40 million was supposed to be distributed on Sunday, for annual Zakaat for 2024.
“We had gone for about two hours when the stampede occurred and we had to suspend the exercise,” he said.
“On Monday, we went round the houses of the victims who died to see their families and in the wisdom of the chairman of the foundation, gave the sum of N250, 000, two bags of rice, one bag of maize and one bag of millet. A renowned Bauchi Islamic scholar, Dr. Ibrahim Adamu Disina, spoke on behalf of the delegation, which comprised businessmen, retired public officers, technocrats and some relatives of Shafa during the visitation.”
The university Don said it was in the course of the visitation that a report reached them that another woman had died, bringing the number of deaths to eight.
“As of today (Monday March 25), we woke up with seven deaths. We went round to see families of the deceased. While we were going round, we were informed by the police that one woman died, bringing the number to eight, not 17 or 18 as some people are saying”.