Three persons were feared dead and over 20 injured in a stampede during the inauguration of the Akwa Ibom International Stadium, Uyo, on Friday.
Apart from the stampede which led to the death of the affected people, security men at the gate dispensed tear gas canisters on those trying to gain entry into the stadium.
Our correspondent learnt in Uyo on Friday that some of those who sustained injury during the stampede lay for several minutes while the medical team at the stadium had yet to attend to their cases.
One of the injured victims, Wisdom Amaowo, said he was pushed inside the gate by a security operative who also dispensed tear gas canisters on him.
He said, “After the policeman dispensed the tear gas canisters on me, I became unconscious and did not know when I was moved to where you now see me.
“Right now, I cannot bend; you can see many bruises and cut on my arms, legs and other parts of my body.
“Since I have been brought here, there is no one from the medical section of the stadium that has come to my aid.”
The state Commissioner for Health, Emem-Abasi Bassey, confirmed the incident, but said no dead had been recorded.
He stated that he was aware of the situation at the gate as many people, both those with tickets and those without the tickets were trying to gain entry into the gates.
Bassey added that 150 medical personnel were on ground to attend to injured victims.
“We have just revived a woman whose condition was terrible as a result of the stampede. We are completely in control of the situation,” he said.
The commissioner, however, attributed the stampede to excitement as many people wanted to gain access to the stadium at all.
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