28 worshippers killed in Anambra stampede

NO fewer than 28 persons, who attended
the weekly crusade at the Holy Ghost
Adoration Ministry, Uke, in Idemili North
local government area of Anambra State,
lost their lives during a stampede at the
end of the ceremony in the early hours of
yesterday.
The crusade, organized by Rev. Fr.
Emmanuel Obinma for prayers, healing
and spiritual retreat, attracts thousands
of people, but the one that was held
yesterday on the Feast of All Saints turned
tragic.
An estimated 100,000 worshippers
reportedly attended the crusade because,
besides coinciding with the Feast of All
Saints, it was also the first Saturday of
the month.
Apart from the dead 25 whose bodies
were said to have been deposited at
Immaculate Heart Hospital and Maternity,
Nkpor and Charles Borromew Hospital,
Onitsha, several others, who sustained
various degrees of injuries, are receiving
treatment in various hospitals in Onitsha.
*The Adoration Ground after the
stampede.
Governor Peter Obi, who attended the
crusade in company of 10 persons,
including the National Chairman of All
Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief
Victor Umeh, the candidate of the party in
the November 16 governorship election,
Chief Willie Obiano, as well as two
siblings of the governor, was said to have
left the crusade ground around 3.30am,
before the tragedy.
Meanwhile, an unconfirmed report blamed
the stampede on the governor. The report
quoted eye witnesses as saying the
stampede occurred when Obi started
campaigning for his gubernatorial
candidate and there were shouts of
disapproval, causing his security aides to
fire tear gas into the crowd.
But Obi, who said, yesterday, that he was
heart-broken by the event, said he went
home after the crusade satisfied on the
rewarding spiritual encounter, only to get
the news later.
He consoled all those affected one way or
the other and said those responsible
would be punished if found or God will
punish them if not found.
The governor said: “When the spiritual
director gave me the opportunity to speak,
I noticed something unusual as I saw
people carrying the posters of politicians
at the adoration ground.
“I have been going for the crusade there
and, on this occasion, I stayed for six
hours and left. Our vehicles were parked
two kilometres away and this is a place
people have been visiting for a long time
without any incident.
“It was later that I heard what happened
and we are working hard with security
agencies to find out those behind the
incident. A holy place should not be a
place for playing politics.”
At the time the stampede occurred, many
worshippers said they thought the
governor and his entourage were still at
the crusade, not knowing that he and his
entourage had left the area two hours
earlier.
An eye witness, Mr. Abuchi Ifebuzo, 31,
told Sunday Vanguard at the premises of
Crown Hospital, Nkpor where he and
some of the injured persons were
receiving treatment, that the crusade
closed at about 5:08 am yesterday and,
as the people were attempting to leave the
ground, there was a stampede and people
were falling on each other.
According to him, trouble started shortly
after the event, when some people started
shouting “fire’ fire, fire,” adding that, in
the confusion that ensued, the
worshippers started scampering for safety
and, in the process, began to fall on each
other.
Another eye witness at St Charles
Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha, Chinenye
Etinanma, who said he came to visit her
sister who was equally a victim, said she
escaped because they were the first set
that encountered some people carrying
the placards of politicians at the
adoration ground.
While some of the worshippers attributed
what happened to sabotage, alleging that
some people raised false alarm of fire,
others believed it was an act of God as
the people were already on their way out
when the stampede happened.
At the two morgues at Immaculate Heart
Hospital and Borromew Hospital where
the bodies were deposited, many people
were seen wailing and crying
uncontrollably following the loss of their
dear ones.
A woman, who refused to give her name,
said her mother was among the dead,
adding that her father died only two
months ago.
There were however some of the victims
who were thought to have died, but
regained consciousness later and were
either driven home, or admitted into the
hospital for further treatment.
Following the development, Governor Obi
cancelled all his engagements for
yesterday. Some of the events he had
planned for the day included a
governorship campaign rally at Nsugbe,
the home town of the governorship
candidate of PDP, Chief Tony Nwoye, a
live radio programme, flag- off of some
road projects, inspection of on-going
shopping mall at Onitsha and the on-
going stadium at Awka.
The governor was among the first group
of persons to visit the scene of the
incident and the various hospitals in
company of two police Deputy Inspectors
General, DIGs, visiting the state, Mr.
Philemon Leha and Kachi Udoji, and the
Anambra State Commissioner of Police,
Mr. Bala Nassarawa.
Sunday Vanguard could not speak with
the Spiritual Director of the Adoration
Centre, Obinma, as he was said to have
gone to brief the Archbishop of Onitsha,
Most Rev Valerian Okeke. Obinma was
also said to have visited the wounded in
hospital.
Coordinator of the centre, Bro Achebe
Nnadi, who was busy entertaining
questions from people, said the problem
was caused by a group of people who
started shouting ‘fire, fire’ when there was
none.
Meantime, Obi has directed that the
names of all the wounded persons be
compiled, although he could not say
immediately if the state government was
going to pick their hospital bills.
The governor also visited the Archbishop
of Onitsha over the matter, although what
they discussed was not made public.
He also said that a panel of enquiry would
be set up immediately to ascertain the
immediate and remote causes of the
incident.