Two Persons Feared Dead, Twenty Injured In Akwa Ibom Stadium Stampede

Two persons have been feared dead and twenty injured in a stampede that happened at entrance Akwa Ibom stadium yesterday during the inauguration

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports
that crowd control was a difficult task in spite
of the road blocks mounted some kilometres
away from the stadium. Although the
spectators got tickets to enable them access
the 30, 000 capacity stadium, the crowd
started thronging the stadium about five hours
ahead of the scheduled time for the match.
Confirming the incident, the state
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Emem Bassey,
told NAN that two
unconscious persons were taken to an
undisclosed hospital.
“I was told that two persons have been
taken to the hospital; these are perhaps
people who were fighting at the gate in
their bid to enter the stadium,” Dr.
Bassey said.
He said that the third unconscious person, a
woman, was revived in the stadium and had
started talking.
“It should be expected; this is the first
time this is happening, everybody is
excited, everybody wants to enter the
stadium. We have 150 medical
personnel in this place and eight
ambulances. All our medical teams are
up and doing and all the clinics are
manned,” Mr. Bassey said.
NAN reports that the security operatives at
some check points were using horse whips
and teargas to control the crowd.
Contacted, the state Commissioner of Police,
Isaac Achong, however said, “there was no
stampede, there was only crowd control. We
are only controlling the crowd entering the
stadium.”
When told that journalists at the stadium
reported a stampede, he said, “I’m not aware”
and terminated the call.
An international friendly between the home-
based senior national team of Nigeria, Super
Eagles B, and the U-23 National Team of
Ghana, the Black Meteors, was fixed to mark
the opening of the stadium.
“It is possible football fans were scrambling to
enter the stadium to watch the match. That’s
what I heard,” an Uyo resident, who said he
was on his way to the facility, said.
The President of Ghana, John Mahama and
the Ivorian Head of State, Alassane Ouattara
were all in Uyo to open the new edifice.