The weekly Adoration crusade in Anambra State, South-East Nigeria, usually organised by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obinma of the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry at Uke turned tragic in the early hours of yesterday.

Gov. Peter Obi was accompanied to the crusade by 10 others, among them APGA National Chairman, Sir Victor Umeh and APGA governorship candidate, Chief Willie Obiano. News Express learnt that the governor and his team would have been caught in the stampede that followed if not for the fact that they left at 3:30 a.m. shortly before the close of the crusade at about 5:08 a.m.

As at 3pm yesterday, about 25 were confirmed dead. The crusade features prayers, healing and spiritual retreat.

An eyewitness said trouble started shortly after the event, when a group of people behaving like paid agents started shouting “Fire!” “Fire!!” “Fire!!!” which immediately sent people scampering for safety.

One theory has it that the commotion was orchestrated by some people who learnt that Gov. Peter Obi would visit the place, but the governor had already left the venue quietly without them knowing.

News Express learnt that casualties were many because the number of crusaders tripled to over 100,000 because the day was All Saints’ Day and the first day of the month, when so many people usually take advantage to pray for the new month.

Saddened by the tragedy, Gov. Obi cancelled all his engagements yesterday, including campaign flag-off at Nsugbe, live radio programme at Silverbird, flag-off of road projects, inspection of the on-going shopping mall at Onitsha and the on-going stadium at Awka. He was the first person to visit the Adoration Ground with security agencies, who he informed of the incident immediately he got the report. The two Police DIGs visiting the state, P. I. Leha and Kachi Udoji, were accompanied by the State Commissioner for Police, Bala Nassarawa. They commended Obi’s quick response and describe the cancelling of all the events of yesterday, as a great sign of responsiveness and care for the people.

The Spiritual Director of the Centre was not around, as he was said to have gone to brief his Local Ordinary, Archbishop Valerian Okeke, about the incident. Obi and his entourage were received by the Cordinator of the Centre, Bro Achebe Nnadi, who said it was most confusing while a group of people should start shouting fire when there was none.

Gov. Obi thereafter visited the Crown Hospital, Nkpor, to see the wounded, most of whom had however, left. He directed the names of all the wounded to be compiled for him. Though he refused to disclose the reason, a Government House source said the state government would likely take care of the hospital bill.

Speaking with the press, the Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Edwin Emegoakor, said he was shocked by the response of the governor. He said that the governor called him on phone few minutes after they brought the wounded to him. Dr. Emegoakor said he was pleasantly surprised since the governor did not have his number. According him, the governor inquired about the wounded and appealed to him to take utmost care of them and promised to come to the hospital. The medical expert said while he was still contemplating whether the governor was actually the one that called him, he arrived to the hospital. He said that no dead was recorded and that most of those that were brought to his hospital were revived and that only three remained and that they were in stable condition.

From Crown Hospital, Governor Obi moved to Immaculate Heart Hospital, Nkpor. Again, he directed the names of those hospitalised to be compiled. Obi also visited St Charles Borromeo Hospital. At the hospital, the spiritual Director of the Ministry, Fr. Emmanuel Obinma, came around. He was also visiting the wounded at different hospitals. He said he was still in shock to talk to the press.

Speaking at the hospital, an eyewitness, Mr. Osmund Okoli, one of the victims, of the stampede said that “devil just wanted to do over time.” Asked what he meant, he said that they were overjoyed that the governor attended their crusade, asked them “to pray for Nigeria and Anambra State, promised to sponsor 20 indigent and elderly ones on pilgrimage to Israel, to construct the access road to the crusade ground on the reason that the road was critical due to the number of people that used it only for this ugly event to happen.”

Another eyewitness, Chinenye Etinanma, who came to visit her sister who was equally a victim, said she narrowly escaped because they were the first set that encountered the blockaded road pro-Ngige supporters who shouted his slogans and caused the stamped.

Gov. Obi says he was heart-broken by the tragedy, disclosing that he went home after the crusade satisfied on the rewarding spiritual encounter only to get the shocking news of human-induced stampede. He consoled all those affected one way or the other. The governor has disclosed that a panel of enquiry would be set up immediately to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the incident, assuring that those responsible would be punished if found or that God will punish them if not found.

Obi has also visited the Archbishop of Onitsha over the matter. What they discussed was not divulged to the press.

•Photo shows Gov. Peter Obi (left), with the Coordinator of Adoration Ground, Bro Achebe Nnadi.