Tragedy: 31 Persons Die In Stampede At Church Charity Event In Porthacourt

By Charles Igbo

The General Overseer of Kings Assembly based in Porthacourt, Rivers State, is in trouble. A programme his Church planned to bring joy to hundreds of hungry families has turned to sorrow.

He had invited members of the public to assemble at the Polo Club, Porthacourt,  on Saturday, May 28, to receive gifts ranging from foodstuffs to other things to ameliorate their hunger at this time of great suffering and difficulty in the country.

As expected, the venue was jam-packed.

Reports from Porthacourt said scores of people, not to miss out, arrived in the evening of  Friday, May 27, 2022.

On the D-day, May 28, many more arrived in their hundreds, as early as 6.00am. But the gate to the venue, manned by “bouncers”, was locked.

They waited.

Time to open the gate, and it was bedlam as soon as that was done.

Everybody made to rush in at the same time. There was no plan for crowd control, apparently.

So, mayhem reigned.

A stampede ensued.

People fell on people. People marched on people.

And death stared them in the eyes. Agonizing death, in search of food.

At the time of filing this story, 31 people, and still counting, have been declared dead.

Tears, blood, anger, agony and sorrow reign.

Now, instead of food, families would have the dead bodies of their loved ones to carry home.

And instead of appreciation to the Church, its leadership  could be charged with manslaughter.

The Rivers State Police Command, through its Acting Spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the number of fatalities, so far, to LIB.