Update On Anambra Church Stampede: What Really Happened

Some survivors in last

Saturday's stampede in which

over 20 worshippers died at a

church in Anambra State have

relived their life-and-death

experience. The death toll now

stand at 25 as three of those

presumed dead were said to

have later regained

consciousness.

Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha

Diocese, Most Rev. Valerian

Okeke, attributed the stampede

at Holy Ghost Adoration Centre,

Uke, Idemili South Local Council

Area of Anambra State, to "false

alarm".

Rev. Okeke told a news

conference that the stampede

was not caused by sabotage and

that the church was not

suspecting any sabotage. “It is

an unfortunate incident," he said.

Represented by Rev. Fr. Uche

Ukor, the Director of Social

Communications, Rev. Okeke

denied reports that the stampede

was caused by a snake.

“In the early hours of Saturday,

November 2, there was a

stampede moments after prayers

at Holy Ghost Adoration Centre,

Uke, in Idemili South Local

Government Area of Anambra

State.

“The stampede, which occurred

while people were going home,

resulted in the loss of some

lives. Some are still injured and

receiving treatment 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

huge that people wanting to

leave all at the same time, made

it very difficult for people to find

enough space to move.

“Vigil was usually held at the

centre on every first Friday of

the month. The crowd 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.”

“Save for the unprecedented

crowd, the vigil started and

ended normally," he said, and

expressed sadness over the ugly

incident.

“My heart goes out to the

families and friends of those

who lost their lives in the

incident."

On whether the incident had a

political connotation, Rev. Okeke

said the church would not delve

into politics or speak for any

politician. He, however,

confirmed that Sen. Chris Ngige,

APC's candidate in November 16

election, did not attend the

programme.

Chris Ngige, who visited the

recuperating victims in the

hospitals, donated N500,000.00

to take care of their hospital

bills.