The Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha
diocese said the pandemonium was
not caused by sabotage
A stampede that led to the death of
about 25 people in a church in
Anambra state, Saturday, was caused
by “false alarm”, a senior church
official has said.
Dozens of people were trampled at
the Holy Ghost Adoration Ground in
Uke, Idemili North local council of
Anambra State, during a mad rush.
Over a hundred worshippers
sustained various degrees of injuries,
eye witnesses said.
In a press conference on Sunday,
Valerian Okeke, the Catholic
Archbishop of Onitsha Archdiocese,
described the incident as
“unfortunate.”
The church also said that the
stampede was not caused by
sabotage. “In the early hours of
Saturday, November 2, there was a
stampede moments after prayers at
Holy Ghost Adoration Centre, Uke,”
said Uche Ukor, a Reverend Father
and Director of Social
Communications, who represented
the archbishop.
“The stampede, which occurred while
people were going home, resulted in
the loss of some lives. Some are still
injured and receiving treatments in
some hospitals.”
“The stampede was reportedly
caused by a false alarm raised by
somebody in the crowd along one of
the narrow roads out of the town. The
crowd was so much that people
wanting to leave all at the same time
made it very difficult for people to find
enough space to move,” he added.
More than 50,000 people attended the
church’s vigil, held every first Friday
of the month, presided over by
Emmanuel Obinma, a Catholic priest
popularly referred to as ‘Ebube
Muonso’ (glory of the Holy Spirit).
It was gathered that the stampede
occurred shortly after Peter Obi, the
Anambra State governor; Willie
Obiano, the gubernatorial candidate
of the All Progressives Grand Alliance,
APGA; and Victor Umeh, the party’s
National Chairman, left the ground.
Chris Ngige, the candidate of the All
Progressives Congress, APC, blamed
the stampede on the governor and his
people. Both parties are constantly
taking pot shots at each other ahead
of the November 16 governorship
elections.
“Reports reaching me have it that the
APGA campaign train, last night went
to the Adoration Ground at Ukeh and
induced stampede as Obi’s goons
charged at worshippers who booed at
them for campaigning at the holy
ground,” Dr. Ngige had said in a
Facebook post hours after the
incident.
However, the state government has
set up a panel of enquiry to ascertain
the remote and immediate cause of
the stampede.
Responding to questions from
journalists, the church said that it
would not delve into whether the
incident had political connotation.
“The crowd at the centre was
unprecedented on this first Friday of
November probably because it was
the Solemnity of All Saints a holy day
of obligation for Catholic faithful,”
said Rev. Okeke.
“Save for the unprecedented crowd,
the vigil started and ended normally.
My heart goes out to the families and
friends of those who lost their lives in
the incident.
“I promise my closeness to them and
all the faithful of the Holy Ghost
Adoration Centre, Uke, and especially
the Spiritual Director, Rev. Fr.
Emmanuel Obimma, who is hard hit
by the ugly incident,’’ he said.
Rev. Okeke said investigations were
ongoing, adding that efforts would be
made to protect the lives of all
worshippers at the centre.
The archbishop commended the
volunteers and management and staff
of the hospitals where the injured
were receiving treatment.
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May the souls of the departed rest in peace.