At least two persons were confirmed dead on Sunday during the ‘Christ The King Procession’ organised by the Catholic Diocese of Aba, Abia State.
The 2024 ‘Christ The King Procession’ by the Catholic Diocese of Aba, saw all the Urban Parishes within Aba converge at the Cathedral Premises of the Christ The King Cathedral (CKC), Asa Road, Aba.
The Procession, which started in the early hours of Sunday morning, saw what many described as a mammoth and extremely uncomfortable crowd surge into the Aba Metropolis in Procession.
As gathered, the Christ the King Sunday is celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church on the last Sunday of the liturgical year, as a feast to mark Jesus Christ’s messianic kingship and sovereign rule over all creation.
However, because of overcrowding, the 2024 procession became problematic when two aged women slumped inside the church premises and were rushed to a nearby hospital around Cameroon Road, where they died.
It is believed the two aged women who are of the Holy Cross Parish, Aba may have suffered from severe breathing challenge because of too much crowd that left everyone with little or no breathing space.
It was equally gathered that many children equally slumped at the CKC during the procession and were rushed to a private hospital at Azikiwe Road by Queen’s Street Aba, where the doctor did their best to resuscitate them.
Aniagbaoso Kelechi, a resident of Aba, said that the Catholic Diocese of Aba over the years have been having issues of people slumping but that the Sunday experience is the first time he heard that someone died.
Kelechi suggested that to avert future occurrences, the Catholic Diocese of Aba must find a way to decongest the population coming to the ‘Christ The King Procession’, henceforth.
He suggested that henceforth, the Bishop of Aba Catholic Diocese should instruct all urban to concentrate all their procession actions in their own parishes without coming to the CKC where the cases of mammoth crowd are often recorded.
“The sun was excruciating. The environment and the atmosphere were extremely unfriendly. Many people have serious health conditions and the Catholic Church, as one of the most advanced churches, should know better and not work by faith like other smaller churches.
“Nobody should mock the church over this incident, but nobody also deserves to die such an avoidable death. I pray to God to grant their soul eternal rest and give their family the fortitude to bear this loss, but it must not repeat itself”.
Another eye witness, who chose anonymity, said that the crowd was too much and some people by age, medical issues and life challenges are supposed to be restricted, no matter their zeal, from attending such events.
According to him, his Parish Priest at Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Nwala Street, off Faulks Road, Aba, strictly warned the parishioners that those that know that they are not healthy should forget about the procession and go home and rest.
“He made it clear to us that there is nothing special about going to CKC aside from seeing the Bishop physically. No one forced anyone to attend anything.
“The crowd was much, but nobody should claim that there is no breathing space because we stayed in an open environment and not inside a suffocating hall.
“There was enough room for oxygen for everyone. Death can happen anytime, anywhere. At least, as the book of revelation said from today, blessed are those who die in the Lord’s service. RIP to the two women. Their souls are going to heaven.”
Another resident who gave his name as David Onyeka alleged he heard that aside from the recorded deaths, that over 30 people collapsed during Christ The King procession on Sunday.
“What I don’t understand and I have been wondering, what is the Christian or spiritual importance of that procession yesterday? What impact does that procession add to the people? Is it for fun or for what?
“If we talk now, it will be as if we are fighting the body of Christ. Why join in that procession when you know you are not fit or healthy for such a long distance exercise? But what do I know? May the souls of those who lost their lives rest in peace.”
One of the church elders described the incident as unfortunate. He revealed that the Sunday experience “is the first and efforts are in top gears to meet the affected families and to ensure such never repeats itself”.
