Following the tragic incident of Sunday, 24th November, 2024, during the Feast of Christ the King at Aba Diocese, where a stampede that occurred left some worshippers dead and several others injured, Senator Austin Akobundu has condoled with the Bishop, Most Rev. Prof. Augustine Ndubueze Echema, priests, religious and all the Catholic faithful of Aba Diocese over the unfortunate episod
While describing the incident as “heartwrenching” and “unprecedented”, Akobundu urged all those affected by it to takesolace in God who alone can comfort them adequately.
“I was deeply saddened when I learnt of the incident. It was an unprecedented occurrence in the history of the Diocese of Aba. It is even more heartwrenching that such an incident occurred at the peak of the people’s joy who trooped out in their numbers to publicly proclaim our Lord Jesus Christ as the only One and True King.
“While the Diocese grieves, let us remember what the Scripture tells us in 1Thessalonians 4:13-14 as follows ‘Our friends, we want you to know the truth about those who have died, so that you will not be sad, as are those who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will take back with Jesus those who have died believing in him.”
“We should even be more consoled by the fact that these our brethren died not only believing but also publicly professing their belief in our Lord Jesus Christ. I am therefore confident that their souls are resting in the Lord.
“I ask the unfailing maternal intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, Comforter of the afflicted, to console all those affected by this incident, and wish the injured speedy recovery.
“The Bishop’s declaration and commitment to ensure that such an incident does not happen again is reassuring, and I pray God to give him, all his priests and religious the strength and wisdom to continue to guide the lay faithful in the will of God for them,” he concluded.