Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has expressed sympathy with the families of the victims of the Catholic feast procession which reportedly claimed 5 lives with several faithful injured.

The incident is believed to have occurred due to the overcrowding of the Christ the King Cathedral, as security men were alleged to have locked the gates of the church.

The Governor assured that his administration would collaborate with the Church to avert such incidents in the future.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, Otti commended the leadership of the church and the government team for their proactive actions in providing medical care to the victims.

"The Abia State government received with sorrow and sadness the news of the death of some Catholic faithful during the annual Eucharistic Procession held at Christ the King Catholic Church, Aba.

"Im deeply pained by this unfortunate development and sends my condolences to the families of the deceased and the Church at large.

"I commend the government team and the Church leadership for their prompt response in providing medical support for the victims."

The Governor promised that the state government emergency team would work with the leadership of the Church to investigate both the immediate and remote causes of the stampede to ensure that such a tragedy does not happen again.

He prayed for the peaceful repose of the souls of the departed while wishing a quick recovery for the injured.

Vanguard gathered that some of the injured, including children, are still receiving medical attention at the hospital.