While in the mood of celebration for qualifying for the World Cup, Russia 2019, spectators got in stampede while some other people broke into Godswill Akpabio Stadium.
The fans were allegedly beaten by soldiers at the gates of the stadium with heavy sticks.
According to Punch, the stampede occurred as the crowd tried to avoid the soldiers’ sticks.
The newspaper reports that bloodstains were around the gate of the stadium, while policemen and personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps were seen standing beside some unconscious fans.
Some of the fans claimed they escaped death by the whiskers.
A female fan, Aniema Ekong, said, “I thank God that I’m alive. This is not the first time this kind of incident had occurred. In fact, in every major tournament, there is always a tale of woes to tell about security agents injuring or killing people.”
Another fan who identified himself as Chukwudi, said his girlfriend was severely injured by the security personnel manning the gate.
He said, “I don’t know why there is always trouble in this stadium.”
Ambulances were seen conveying injured persons to the hospital.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Elkana Bala, however, claimed that no one died.
He told the newspaper, “It is confirmed that nobody died. But some persons were injured while struggling to gain access into the stadium. The injured persons were taken to hospital for medical attention.”
