ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - A minimum of 13 people, consisting of 4 kids, were eliminated in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds collected to collect food and clothing items distributed at yearly Christmas events, the police said Saturday.

The 2 mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populated nation, in the middle of a growing trend by local companies, churches and individuals to organize fundraiser ahead of Christmas, as the nation battles with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

Ten individuals were eliminated in the first stampede in the early hours at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, an upmarket part of the capital, Abuja, police spokesperson Josephine Adeh said in a statement, adding that more than 1,000 people have been evacuated from the church.

There was a crowd rise at one of the church gates, as lots tried to get in the premises at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift items were to be shared, witnesses said, mentioning that some had been waiting considering that the previous night.

"The method they were hurrying to enter, some individuals were falling and a few of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he handled to rescue one child as his mom had a hard time in the surge.

Three individuals died in a comparable crush later in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity drive arranged by a philanthropist, the state police said.

"The occasion had not even begun when the rush started," cops representative Tochukwu Ikenga said. There could be more deaths tape-recorded as officers investigate the occurrence, he said.

Viral video that appeared to be from the Abuja scene revealed lifeless bodies pushing the ground as people yelled for aid. Some of the hurt have been treated and released while others continue to get medical care, police said.

The church canceled the charity drive with bags of rice and clothes items still arranged within the facilities.

As the church held a wedding after the crowd was evacuated, the misery and unhappiness remained palpable even as households and good friends gathered for wedding event pictures.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his compassion with the victims' households and asked states and appropriate authorities to implement strict crowd control procedures.

The recent stampedes in Nigeria have raised concerns about precaution in such occasions. Several kids were eliminated on Wednesday today when a local structure organized a well-attended funfair to distribute gift items and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the latest disaster, the authorities in Abuja revealed that prior approval needs to be acquired before such charity drive are organized.

The present economic hardship under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who promised "renewed hope" when he was sworn into workplace in May 2023, is blamed on surging inflation that is at a 28-year high and the government ´ s financial policies that have pressed the local currency to versus the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has led to mass protests in current months. In August, a minimum of 20 people were shot dead and hundreds of others were detained at protests demanding better chances and jobs for youths.