stampede that occurred during a vigil at the Holy Ghost Adoration
Ground, Uke, in the Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra
State.
The vigil was attended by Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, the
governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Mr.
Willie Obiano and the National Chairman of APGA, Dr. Victor Umeh.
More than 100,000 people,Sunday Punchlearnt, gathered at the venue,
which is designed to take about 5,000 people.
The incident occurred shortly after Obi and his entourage left the venue.
About 200 victims that survived the stampede were taken to hospitals
in Onitsha and Nkpor where of them were treated and discharged
Obi, who later on visited hospitals, where injured persons were taken,
promised to set up a panel to investigate the cause of the stampede.
The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emeka
Chukwuemeka, confirmed the incident but said he could not give figures
or state the cause of the incident because investigations were still
going on to establish them.
The founder and Spiritual Director of the Holy Ghost Adoration Centre,
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obinma, a Catholic priest popularly called Ebube
Mmuonso (the glory of the Holy Ghost) has also been visiting and
praying for the survivors.
Ngige, who is also the governorship candidate of the All Progressives
Congress in the November 16 election, had also visited the place and
victims to sympathise with them.
There were various versions of what caused the stampede. One of the
versions said the stampede occurred when some of the worshippers
shouted down Governor Obi while he was addressing the worshippers and
went ahead to cause commotion.
Another version said the stampede was caused by supporters of Ngige,
Obi's opponent, who in their effort to block the way and cause
confusion, shouted 'fire, fire, fire,' thus causing the stampede.
But a media assistant to Ngige, Mr. Igboeli Arinze, toldSunday
Punchthat Ngige and his supporters had no hand in the Uke incident.
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