REPORTS ON WHAT HAPPENED AT UKE, NEWSPAPER BY NEWSPAPER I understand all those that reported it were there. In the case of Sun, Aloysius Attah was even at the crusade with his wife. Read and Find out the Truth From EMMANUEL UZOR and ALOYSIUS ATTAH, Onitsha No fewer than 25 persons lost their lives in the early hours of yesterday in a stampede at the monthly adoration crusade organised by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obinma of the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry for prayers and healing at Uke in Anambra State. The stampede was attributed to the unprecedented crowd at the prayer ground. Sunday Sun gathered from eyewitnesses that the victims died of exhaustion. Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, and the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Willie Obiano, were among the dignitaries that attended the event. But the duo had left before the tragedy happened. Eyewitnesses told Sunday Sun that Obi addressed the worshipers and promised to sponsor 20 persons on pilgrimage to Israel as well as provide a better place of worship. “The last Friday all-night prayer was the largest. I have not seen the magnitude of crowd I saw since the history of this ministry. Maybe it was because it fell on All Saints’ Day, which Catholics regard as a holy day of obligation. So, many people didn’t open their shops and that was why the crowd was too much. It is possible that the cause of these deaths was stampede and exhaustion which occurred when people started struggling to leave the venue,” one of the eyewitnesses said. Emeka Ilodiuba from Nnokwa in Idemili South council area of Anambra State who lost his wife in the incident, gave the account of the tragic event saying “I came with my wife Ebube Muonso. When the prayer ended about 5.30 am, we stood to go home. Before then, the governor and his entourage had left. But when we got to the entrance, there was unprecedented crowd trying to get out of the prayer ground. The crowd surged forward and that was when my wife fell down and people fell on top of her till she died.” He maintained that the presence of Obi and Obiano at the prayer ground had nothing to do with the incident and called on the security agencies to thoroughly investigate the major cause of the stampede that claimed the lives of the innocent worshipers. Another eyewitness said trouble started shortly after the event, when a group of people behaving like paid agents started shouting “Fire, fire, fire” which made people to scamper for safety. It is believed that the commotion was deliberately orchestrated by some people who learnt that Governor Peter Obi would visit the place. But the governor had quietly left the venue before the incident happened. The unprecedented crowd was attributed to the fact that the adoration fell on All Saints’ Day, which was the first day of the month (Friday) when many people usually gather for worship. When informed about the tragedy, Governor Obi cancelled all his scheduled engagements for Saturday and rushed the scene to assess the situation. He described the incident as a national calamity that took the entire state by surprise. While addressing the crowd at the Crown, Nkpor, Immaculate Heart and Borromeo hospitals, Obi expressed shock at the incident and prayed God to grant the families of the dead the fortitude to bear the loss. He assured that investigation had kicked off to ascertain the cause of the incident and promised to upgrade the Crown hospital, Nkpor in line with the commitment of his administration to partner with private hospitals to improve the heath sector while insisting that the incident was as a result of stampede. “I was officially invited by the spiritual director of the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry and I went and addressed the people. Part of the thing I told them was that we are not playing politics in the church and I left by 3.30 am. I went in company of about 10 persons mainly my siblings. So, I’m depressed, confused and sad at the development”, Obi said. The Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG in charge of C Department, Mr. Kachi Udorji, who led other top police officers to the prayer ground and later to Crown Hospital expressed shock over the incident, stressing that investigations were already on to unravel the cause of the incident. He later took other top officers, including DIGs and AIGs to the Onitsha Area Command and confirmed the figure of casualties and urged the police officers to work hard to get to the root of the incident. The Spiritual Director of Holy Ghost Adoration, Rev Fr. Emmanuel Obinma, who rushed to Borromew Hospital, looked very ruffled when our correspondent visited the place. He was, however, being condoled by Governor Obi and other Rev Fathers present. The Chief Medical Director of Crown Hospital, Dr. Edwin Emegoakor, commended the governor for his spontaneous response. He said it was a pleasant surprise to him when the governor called him on phone few minutes after the victims were brought to the hospital to inquire about the wounded and appealed to him to take utmost care of them. He said, while he was still contemplating whether the governor was actually the one that called, Obi arrived at the hospital. There are indications that the state might take care of the medical bills of the victims as the governor was said to have directed the hospitals to compile the names of the wounded. Emegoakor said that no death was recorded and that most of the victims brought to his hospital were revived and in stable condition. However, at Immaculate Heart Hospital, Nkpor, over 17 persons were confirmed dead. This is in addition to nine other deceased at Borromeo. The whereabouts of three other persons still remains unknown as at the time of filing this report. The governor said that a panel of enquiry would be set up immediately to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the incident. REPORT BY THISDAY 25 Dead, Many Injured in Anambra Prayer Ground Stampede 03 Nov 2013 Font Size: a / A Governor Peter Obi Emeka Osondu andKasie Abone It was a Black Saturday as the weekly adoration crusade usually organised by Rev. Father Emmanuel Obinma of the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry for prayers, healing and spiritual retreat at Uke, Idemili North Council Area of Anambra State turned tragic in the early hours of Saturday. No fewer than 25 persons were reported dead and many others injured following a stampede that erupted during the crusade. Anambra State Governor Peter Obi who was accompanied to the crusade by 10 others, including the All Progressive Grand Alliance National Chairman Victor Umeh and APGA governorship candidate Willie Obiano among others would have been caught in the stampede if not for the fact that the team left at 3.30 am shortly before the close of the crusade at about 5:08 am. About 25 persons were confirmed dead by 3 pm yesterday. Eyewitnesses said trouble started shortly after the event when the congregation was leaving as a group of people started shouting “Fire’ Fire, Fire,” which immediately sent people scampering for safety. Some, however, believe the commotion was deliberately organised by some people who felt Governor Obi was still at the crusade, even though he had already left the venue quietly. The casualties were said to be many because the number of crusaders, according to sources, got to around 100,000 because the day was All Saints’ Day and the first day of the month which so many people usually take advantage of to pray for the new month. Following the sad development, Obi immediately cancelled all his engagements, including campiagn flag-off at Nsugbe, live radio programme at Silverbird, flag-off of road projects, inspection of the ongoing shopping mall at Onitsha and ongoing stadium at Awka, the state capital. The governor was the first person to visit the Adoration Ground with security agents immediately he got wind of the stampede. The two Deputy Inspector Generals of Police visiting the state, P I Leha and Kachi Udeogu, accompanied by the state’s Commissioner of Police, Bala Nassarawa, also visited the scene of the accident. Speaking with journalists, Obi said he attended the vigil on the invitation of the Rev. Father in charge of the adoration, Rev. Obimma. I noticed something unusual; when I wanted to speak, a group of people started shouting somebodys name. I had to curtail them and said we are here to worship. I was here with a team of about ten people. I have my immediate senior sister who is a reverend sister. At the time I left everything was normal, there was no incident, Obi said. On those allegedly shouting fire, fire, he said, I dont think there was fire. Nobody saw any vehicle that got burnt. I have always said that people should try and live a decent life, do things properly. I have been to other crusade before. I stay up to five hours. That was how long I stayed at this one before I left. Asked whether he suspected any foul play, he said if people have started shouting fire, where is the fire? People had done similar thing before (at Adoration Ground in Enugu) and people lost their lives. We cant continue like this. Its unfair. Udeogu said: There was no security measure that was neglected. From what I heard, the incident took place when people were going away. Normally if you want to secure a place, you secure the perimeters of the worship centre but you cant police the road. Initially, I thought it was a cathedral with limited access to exit if there was an emergency, but you can see from here that if there is an emergency, people will melt away, there is no restraint here. But like the governor had said, we shall fish out those who were shouting fire, fire when there was no fire. Certainly those that were involved, we would unearth them. People will talk and we will hear. At the Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha, most of the injured victims who were rushed there had recovered. From there, the governor visited the Crown Hospital, Nkpor to see the injured, most of whom had also left by then. He directed the names of all those injured to be compiled for him. Meanwhile, Obi has said a panel of enquiry will be set up immediately to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the incident. Obiano has also condoled the families of those who lost loved ones in the stampede. In a statement by his Media Assistant James Eze, the APGA candidate described the incident as “unfortunate and depressing,” wondering why politics in the state should degenerate to a level where worshippers no longer feel safe to worship in a sacred place as an Adoration Ground. REPORT BY MIRROW 30 worshippers die in Anambra church stampede by NWABUEZE OKONKWO on Nov 3, 2013 | No comments Posted under: News 0 0 0 0 xTragedy struck at Uke, in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State as no fewer than 30 worshippers lost their lives in a stampede that erupted in a night vigil which took place at the Holy Ghost Adoration Catholic Prayer Ministry, Uke. The stampede which occured at about 2 a.m. as a result of an explosion, left scores of others worshippers in a state of coma. According to the source, the incident occured shortly after Governor Peter Obi, accompanied by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Willie Obiano visited the Adoration ground and addressed the congregation where he promised to sponsor 20 persons to pilgrimage in Israel. Confirming the incident, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, DIG in charge of ‘C’ Department, Mr. Kachi Udorji who visited the scene yesterday, told newsmen at the Police Area Command Headquarters, Onitsha that only 28 persons died on the spot during the stampede. Udorji, accompanied by the the DIG incharge of Operations, Philemon Leha and AIG Ballah Nasarawa, Anambra Commissioner of Police, said he had visited the adoration ground and later to Crown Hospital at Nkpor- Uno where some of the corpses were deposited and the injured are being hospitalized. He expressed rude shock over the incident and said investigations will continue to unravel the cause of the incident. One of the worshippers, Emeka Ilodiuba, who lost his wife to the incident, told newsmen amidst tears that they had come out of the prayer ground on their way through the crowded place to where they parked their vehicle when suddenly, there was shouting everywhere and people started scampering for safety when his wife fell down and never survived the stampede. “I m from Nnokwa in Idemili South council area of Anambra state, I came to Ebube Muonso with my wife, when the prayer ended around 5.30 am, we stood up to find our way home, then the governor and his entourage had left but when we got to the entrance, there was unprecedented crowd trying to find their way out of the prayer ground, the crowd surged forward and that was when my wife fell down and people fell on top of her till she died”. He also revealed that Governor Obi had shortly left when the incident occurred and maintained that the presence of Obi and Obiano at the prayer ground had nothing to do with the incident and called on the security agencies to thoroughly investigate the major cause of the stampede that claimed the lives of the innocent worshipers PUNCH REPORT 28 die in Anambra church stampede November 3, 2013 by Emmanuel Obe 16 Comments Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi | credits: nigeriamasterweb No fewer than 28 people were trampled to death early Saturday in a 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 Punch learnt, 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, told Sunday Punch that Ngige and his supporters had no hand in the Uke incident. REPORTS BY NATION lack Saturday: 28 feared dead at Anambra night vigil Posted by: Nwanosike Onu,Awka/Emeka Odogwu,Onitsha in Featured, News 10 hours ago •Obi, Ngige, DIGs visit scene, victims •Govt vows to probe incident •Police launch investigation HOLY Ghost Night vigil, one of the most popular faith healing gatherings in Anambra state, ended on a tragic note yesterday at Uke in Idemili North Local Government area. Twenty-eight of the participants in this month’s edition of the session laid dead after a stampede. The state was in a pensive mood yesterday as news of the tragedy spread. There were conflicting reports about the cause of the stampede. One version put out by the Chairman, Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) in Anambra state, Comrade Aloysius Attah, stated that trouble started toward the end of the prayer session after a fire spark from the make-shift stall of a fried plantain seller at the ground. Worshippers, who saw the spark, then shouted ‘fire’ causing a stampede. People started running for their lives. Many fell in the process and were trampled upon by other fleeing worshippers. Another version, related by an eye witness who gave his name simply as Kenechukwu, is that paid agents unexpectedly started shouting “Fire’ Fire, Fire,” which triggered off the stampede. Another source said the stampede was caused by a trader who pushed a female worshipper from stamping on her wares while the struggling woman grabbed other people to avoid falling. They all went down and those people who did not know what happened began running. The police could not say immediately what caused it all. Governor Peter Obi and the APGA candidate in this month’s governorship candidate in the state, Chief Willie Obiano, were at the vigil but left at about 3.30am before the incident some two hours later, witnesses said. The injured were rushed to hospitals in Onitsha for treatment. Some of them were said to have regained consciousness. Governor Obi, the APC governorship candidate, Chris Ngige and two Deputy Inspectors General of Police (DIGs), Kachy Ugorji and Philemon Leha, were among the early callers at the scene and the hospitals. Hundreds of residents also rushed to the prayer ground and the hospitals to look for their relations among the dead and the survivors. Obi said that a Panel of Enquiry would be set up immediately to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the incident. He said he was heart-broken by the event, which he had personally attended. The governor said he had returned home satisfied with the rewarding spiritual encounter only to get the shocking news of the stampede. He consoled the bereaved and said those responsible for the tragedy would be punished under the law, if found or by God if not found by the law enforcement agents. He cancelled all his engagements for the day. At the adoration ground, the coordinator of the centre, Achebe Nnadi, told the governor that the confusion was started by shouts of fire when indeed there was none. The Chief Medical Director of Crown Hospital, Dr.Edwin Emegoakor, who briefed the governor during a visit to the victims, said none of those brought there was dead. Sixteen of the victims were confirmed to have been taken dead to Immaculate Heart Hospital and nine to St. Charles Borromeo Hospital. Rev.Father Obinma said he was too shocked to talk to the press. The weekly programme is organised by Rev. Fr Emmanuel Obinma (Ebubemonso) of the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry for prayers, healing and spiritual retreat. The police in the state said they have commenced investigation into the tragedy. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the command, DSP Emeka Chukwuemeka, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uke that the police were yet to confirm the number of casualties. .“The number of deaths cannot be ascertained now until we conclude investigations because some persons who fainted were later resuscitated,” he said. REPORTS BY VANGUARD 8 worshippers killed in Anambra stampede on November 03, 2013 / in News 1:30 am / Comments 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. - See more at: vanguardngr/2013/11/28-worshippers-killed-anambra-stampede/#sthash.CPI1gUr5.dpuf THE PICS Caption for the Pics Gov. Peter Obi (left), with the spiritual Director of Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Rev. Fr Emmanuel Obinma (right). Mr. Osmund Okoli, survived the stampede The Adoration Ground after the stampede Gov. Peter Obi (1st right) , with the State Commissioner of Police, Bala Nassarawa (1st left) briefing the two DIGs of Police that visited the Adoration scene, P I Leha (2nd left) and Kachi Udoji (2nd right). Gov. Peter Obi (left), with the Coordinator of Adoration Ground, Bro Achebe Nnadi Gov. Peter Obi (middle), with his Commissioner for Works, Callistus Ilozue (2nd right) and Members of the Red Cross that were on hand for rescue operations Gov. Peter Obi (left) with the Medical Director of Crown Hospital, Dr. Edwin Emegoakor(right) and one of the victims at the middle, when the Governor visited the hospital Gov. Peter Obi (right), with Srs Mary Claude Oguh of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Hospital, Nkpor when the Governor visited some of the victims at the hospital Gov. Peter Obi (left), with Rev. Fr Dan Onuorah of St. Charles Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha when the Governor visited some of the victims at the hospital
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 12:14:32 +0000
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