At least 10 were killed in the capital Abuja, and three were killed in the town of Okija during the distribution of charity.
At least 13 people, including four children, have been killed in two incidents in Nigeria as crowds of people gathered to collect food and clothes distributed during the annual Christmas celebrations, police say.
In the capital of Abuja, about 10 people died on Saturday and many others were injured during a riot at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama district.
“This unfortunate incident, which happened around 6:30am (05:30 GMT), resulted in the death of 10 people, including four children, and left eight others with various injuries,” said Josephine Adeh. police spokesman.
In another incident in Okija in Anambra state in southern Nigeria, three people were killed in an attack on a charity event organized by a charity, the state police said.
Police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga said. There could be more deaths being recorded as police are investigating, he said.
In both cases, the victims are women and children who are trampled as the crowd tries to get their hands on their donations.
A statement from the President's spokesperson Bola Tinubu said the President canceled all his events in Lagos on Saturday “out of respect for the victims”.
“In a time of joy and happiness, we feel sorry for our fellow citizens who are mourning the painful death of their loved ones. Our prayers for comfort and divine healing are with them,” Tinubu said.
Thursday, at least 32 people died in a similar incident at an Islamic secondary school in Ibadan, the capital of southwestern Oyo State in Nigeria.
Africa's most populous country is facing its worst affordability crisis in decades as reforms introduced by Tinubu have slashed subsidies for electricity and fuel while the recession has eroded the value of its currency.
Inflation in November rose to 34.6 percent year-on-year from 33.88 percent in October, marking the third consecutive monthly increase.
Amnesty International Nigeria in a statement on Saturday said that for many Nigerians, “having plain rice at home has become a luxury.”
A UK-based human rights watchdog called on authorities to conduct a prompt, thorough, independent and transparent investigation into how the charity fell into disrepute.