NO fewer than 25 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 Saturday.
The crusade, organized by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obinma for prayers, healing and spiritual retreat, attracts thousands of people, but the one that was held Saturday, on the Feast of All Saints turned tragic.
As estimated 100,000 worshippers attended the crusade because, apart from 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.
According another source; Governor Peter Obi and his candidate, Willie Obiano had arrived to the prayer house [Adoration Ministry] at the early morning hours of about 4:15am to address the audience that had come for night vigil.
Continue reading after the cut.....
The arrival caught the audience unaware and surprising. And as Peter Obi mounted the stage to address the audience – the audience broke out in a quiet murmur – unsure of what to make of it, the Governor continued to deliver his campaign speech with Willie Obiano standing beside him. Governor Peter Obi promised to make available N5million to the prayer house to help tackle a gully erosion site near the Adoration grounds.
As he spoke, the quiet murmuring grew louder – followed by chants of ‘Onwa, Onwa’. And in reaction to the chants of Onwa, Willie Obiano/Peter Obi’s men including security operatives began rushing towards the area where the chants of Onwa was coming from. The chanters were moving away from the approaching armed men. In the process, it turned into a stampede.
At the end of the stampede, over 28 corpses were seen littered on the grounds. An estimate of over 200 were injured. A large percent of the dead and injured are believed to be Ngige supporters, this is according to one of the survivors of the stampede – who also added that “they rejected Obiano and willie and were chanting Ngige Ngige it took hours to calm the crowd by Father Ebube Muonso so that Peter Obi could speak. Peter Obi made donation of N2million to the Reverend Father. The Father rejected it and ask him to give that to the poor whom he have starved for years. And later there was a stampede.
28 corpses have been deposited at Crown Hospital Nkpor. The wounded taken to Borromeo Hospital.
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stop politicizing d tragedy.d stampede was not politically engineered but was because of a false fire alarm cos a bean cake frying trader mistakenly poured oil into d fire n which caused an eruption of smoke and pple who ar already on dia way home since d adoration has dismissed,took to dia heels thinking a car caught fire.
ReplyDeleteI read this story in some other news that its Gov p. Obi of Anambra and his political son that caused it. Why take campaign to night Virgil. by the way what do you mean by false alarm? False Alarm on what? Where you there? If so let us know the real thing that happened. I pray for the souls that died.
DeleteEverything in Naija na death,,,death,,,,death. God-forbid bad thing. MTSRIP.
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