Fifteen feared dead in stampede at Jonathan’s PH rally

Posted by admin Latest Politics, Rivers, State News, Top Stories Saturday, February 12th, 2011

Several people were feared to have been killed on Saturday in a stampede at an election campaign rally for Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan in the oil city of Port Harcourt, witnesses said.
Thousands of ruling party supporters crowded into a sports stadium to hear Jonathan speak and hundreds more gathered around the gates. There was a stampede after a policeman fired into the air to try to disperse the crush as people left, witnesses said.

“I can see the bodies of three women,” one witness, Tonye Ben, told Reuters. Other witnesses said as many as 10 people had been killed.Police spokeswoman Rita Inoma-Abbey confirmed that several people had
collapsed and been taken to hospital but said she could not immediately confirm whether anyone had died.

Meanwhile, President Jonathan has postponed the inauguration of the Goodluck/Sambo presidential campaign council earlier scheduled for Saturday night following the stampede in Port Harcourt Stadium.

Also, the Inspector General of Police, Mr Hafiz Ringim, has constituted a panel of enquiry into the Port Harcourt incident. The panel which would begin siting on Monday in Port Harcourt is to be headed
by an Assistant Inspector General of Police.

-Reuterswp_posts