From Ahmad Muhammad,Bauchi
Four people have been confirmed dead with many injured following a stampede in the process of collecting Zakkat in Bauchi.
Police Public Relations Officer , SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, said four persons lost their lives in the stampede, scores of others were injured, and the situation had been brought under control.
Eye witnesses said they atttended the distribution of Zakkat by a Pgilantropust who is sharing N10,000 to the beneficieries.
They texplained that the while peoppe arw waiting in the cue , some women group starrted shouting and throwing stones to police men on duty, and police fired tear ga which led to stampede and people suffered various degrees of injuries, some were receiving medical attention in the Hospital while six person died.
A victim, alleged that the stampede was as a result of impatience from the beneficieries , which made some of the women taught that they my not get , thet lost patience having waited for a long time.and started throwing stones to police which let to a stampede while struggling to collect Zakat being distributed by a private businessman, AYM Shafa, in Bauchi .
The poor and needy, who by Islamic jurisprudence are meant to be beneficiaries of Zakat, had gathered in their numbers since morning waiting to take their turns to collect the Zakat.
Zakat is one of the pillars of the Islamic faith. It requires all Muslims to donate a portion of their wealth to charity. Muslims must meet a certain threshold before they can qualify for zakat. The amount is 2.5% or 1/40 of an individual’s total savings and wealth, which is thereafter given out to the needy and poor.
The inxident came two days after two students of Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK) lost their lives in a stampede that followed an attempt to collect rice palliative provided by the State Government.
