From Ankeli Emmanuel, Sokoto
Eyewitness accounts have it that said no fewer than none persons died and over 30 other sustained various degrees of injury at a stampede which occured at the residence of Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamako in Sokoto.
However, at the time of filing this report, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Commmd in Sokoto, ASP Ahmed Rufai said they were working towards getting the actual number of casualties.
“‘We are aware and we on it to get the actual number of the death please”, ASP Rufai replied to inquiry on the actual casualty figure.
The incident was said to have happened in the night when the needy in their thousands on that faithful day like always thronged the residence of Senator Wamakko for grains, fabrics and money.
Senator Wamakko, a former governor is cherished by many in the state for allowing his personal residence turned into a Mecca of sort for those seeking succur and assistance of various forms.
The Senator equally distributes sallah items to thousands of Muslim faithful, especially during the Ramadan.
It is therefore, in one of those occasions thatthe crowd got swelled up beyond imagination and the struggle for the fittest led to stampede where nine persons, including a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps were said to have lost their lives.
Reacting to the incident, thee Sokoto State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while.expressinh their deep sadness over the incident, extended their heartfelt sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives in the incident and prayed for the recovery of those who sustained injuries.
The PDP, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Hassan Sahabi Sanyinnawal, however, called on the Senator to devise a more humanely responsible manner of assisting the needy rather than subjecting them to untimely death by poor arrangements.
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