The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the death of 31 people while several others were injured during a stampede that occured at an annual programme organised by a new generation church in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
The acting Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, who disclosed this while speaking with Newsmen via telephone, said investigation has commenced to unravel the cause of the ugly incident.
The stampede occured when hundreds of people attempted to force themselves into Port Harcourt Polo Club venue of the programme, christened ‘Shop for Free’, through the one of the pedestrian gates of the facility that had been opened.
It was gathered that the leadership of the church had opted for the Polo Club ground in order to accommodate the expected large crowd since an open invitation was extended to the public.
The church had also announced the distribution of free food items during the programme in commemoration of its fourth anniversary.
The remains of the victims have been deposited at the morgue of the Military Specialist Hospital, Port Harcourt.
Reacting, The King’s Assembly Church, the organizers of the outreach programme, in a press statement said they’re deeply saddened by the stampede incident.
Releasing the church emergency phone lines, the Church said their Medical Team have been working with medical volunteers, and the Military Hospital in Port Harcourt to provide emergency medical services to those affected in the incident.
The press statement reads: “The King’s Assembly is deeply saddened by the stampede incident that happened in the early hours before the commencement of our benevolence and outreach program called Shop-for-Free at Polo Club, in Port Harcourt on Saturday, May 28, 2022.”
“The purpose of this non-denominational event is to share with the less privileged the gifts provided by our members, friends and partners. Unfortunately, lives were lost and several people sustained varying degrees of injuries.”
“Our Medical Team have been working with medical volunteers, and the Military Hospital in Port Harcourt to provide emergency medical services to those affected in this incident.
“While the incident has been reported to the Nigerian Police Force, the church has commissioned a team of safety specialists to establish the immediate causes of the stampede to enable us provide the authorities all required information in compliance with public safety laws.
“The King’s Assembly is a safety conscious organization and will always take the safety of our congregation very seriously. Our Shop-for-Free program was started in 2014 as our annual benevolence outreach, and our choice of the large venue, Polo Club, was to accommodate the projected attendance.
“This year’s turnout, buildup and the attendant circumstances were absolutely unanticipated. The crowd converged overnight long before the security teams for the event took formation.
“We are reviewing our public safety protocol and advance crowd management procedures to persistently ensure that our events are safe.
“Further details will be made available to the public, but in the meantime the church is rapidly tracing and engaging the affected families while we encourage our members and friends to hold up the affected families in prayers.
The church emergency phone lines are open to all enquiries:
+2347025000999
+2348172980000
