President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the reported death of scores of worshippers during a stampede at a religious event in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Reacting to the incident, the President admonished organizers of religious, political and other events attracting huge number of people to plan well and carry them out in a disciplined manner to avert similar calamitous deaths and injuries.
The President directed that “all efforts should be made to provide relief to those injured in the unfortunate incident,” and that disaster and relief agencies of the Federal Government should maintain constant contact with the Rivers State government to ensure that good care is taken of the relief efforts, according to a statement by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity).
President Buhari expressed his condolences and that of the nation to the bereaved families and to the government and people of Rivers State and prayed to the Almighty to repose the souls of the deceased.
At least 31 people died in Nigeria on Saturday during a stampede at a church in the southern Rivers State, a Police Spokesperson said.
Hundreds of people who had turned up to receive food at the church early on Saturday broke through a gate, causing the stampede, Grace Iringe-Koko, Police Spokesperson for Rivers state said.
The church, known as Kings Assembly, was said to have invited members of the public to partake in the event where gift items and food were promised to be shared to congregants.
The church is located in the GRA area of Port Harcourt, but the event was held at the Port Harcourt Polo Club, a bigger facility to accommodate the anticipated crowd.
“It is 31 persons that died. It was a stampede because a church was trying to give out palliatives.
“They were about to start the event by 9am or so. But some persons went there and broke into the place and went inside.
“People were there earlier and some got impatient and started rushing, which led to stampeding.
“From the information we have, the church was trying to gift items and food to assist the underprivileged.
“The police are on the ground monitoring the situation while the investigation is on going,” said Iringe-Koko.
