Over 30 persons died in the early morning hours of today November 2, 2013 at a campaign event of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) at a prayer house in Uke in Idenmili, Anambra central senatorial district. Governor Peter Obi and his candidate, Willie Obiano had arrived at the prayer house of Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry at the early morning hours of about 12:15am to address the audience that had come for night vigil. The arrival caught the audience unaware and surprising. And as Peter Obi mounted the stage to address the audience. The audience broke out in a quiet murmur, unsure of what to make of it, the Governor continued to deliver his campaign speech with Willie Obiano standing beside him. Governor Peter Obi promised to make available N5 million to the prayer house to help tackle a gully erosion site near the Adoration grounds. As he spoke, the quiet murmuring grew louder followed by chants of ‘Onwa, Onwa’.
And in reaction to the chants of Onwa, Willie Obiano/Peter Obi’s men including security operatives began rushing towards the area where the chants of Onwa was coming from. The chanters were moving away from the approaching armed men. In the process, it turned into a stampede. At the end of the stampede, over 28 corpses were seen littered on the grounds. An estimate of over 200 were injured.
A large percent of the dead and injured are believed to be Ngige supporters, this is according to one of the survivors of the stampede who also added that “they rejected Obiano and willie and were chanting Ngige Ngige it took hours to calm the crowd by Father Ebube Muonso so that Peter Obi could speak. Peter Obi madedonation of N2 million to the Reverend Father. The Father rejected it and ask him to give that to the poor whom he have starved for years. And later there was a stampede. Obiano and Peter Obi has sucked the blood of innocent worshippers. Peter Obi is the Chimaroke of Anambra” 28 corpses have been deposited at Crown Hospital Nkpor. The wounded taken to Borromeo Hospital
Meanwhile, the state governor, later visited the scene of the incident alongside the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of zone 9, Philemon Leha, Assistant Inspector General of Police of C Department, Kachi Udeoji, and the state commissioner of police, Bala Nasarawa, vowed to unravel the cause of the incident adding that whoever is the brain behind the incident will not go unpunished.