By Oduwaiye Fela
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. 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.
An eye witness, Mr. Abuchi Ifebuzo, 31, who was admitted in 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.
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.
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