28 worshippers killed in Anambra stampede

28 worshippers killed in Anambra
stampede
on november 03, 2013 at 1:30 am in news
By Vincent Ujumadu, Awka, Okonkwo Eze, Enyim
Enyim, Onitsha
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.