Premium Times reports with reference to the NAN, that the incident was caused by the entrance stampede at the inauguration ceremony of the new stadium on November 7.
The festive occasion was fixed to open with a friendly match between the Nigerian and the Ghanaian teams. The crowd started thronging the stadium about five hours before the event.
Uyo resident said: “It is possible football fans were scrambling to enter the stadium to watch the match. That’s what I heard.” The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Emem Bassey, later confirmed the incident but not the feared death toll. “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.”
He added that health workers were fully prepared to render any services required: “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.”
It was also learnt that some security were using horse whips and teargas to control the crowd. State Commissioner of Police, Isaac Achong, debunked troubling reports saying he was not aware of the stampede.
It would be recalled that many dignitaries were to visit the edifice opening ceremony, including Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan, Ghana’s President John Mahama, Brazilian football legend Pele and several governors from
across Nigeria.
The new modern venue, with 30,000 capacity and a bullet – proof State Box that has 70 seats, has already been tagged by many the best in the West African region.
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