News Report: Port Harcourt Pandemonium Caused By Security Operatives

Venue After Pandemonium

The pandemonium on Saturday, 12th february, 2011 at the Liberation stadium in Port Harcourt, venue of the Peoples' Democratic Party(PDP), South-South campaign flag-off which claimed the lives of over ten people with over twenty receiving treatments in hospitals in the Rivers state capital city was caused by security operatives. The governors of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, Delta and Rivers states were in attendance with the full complements of their security details and supporters.

An eye witness told chidi opara reports in Port Harcourt yesterday that at about 3.00pm, after the governors have been handed the flag of the party as symbol of their gubernatorial candidacy, their supporters who could not contain their joy started to rush outside the stadium to where their respective accompanying musical groups were stationed, to start celebrating and to receive the monies promised by the campaign organizations of the governors who hired them. "Everybody was rushing outside at the same time", the eye witness informed.

We also learnt that at this point, some security operatives in a bid to stop the crowd from leaving while the President was reading his speech locked the main gates, the crowd however reportedly tried to leave through the minor gates, resulting in the stampede.

According to another eye witness account, the situation became worse when some security details of the governors started shooting in the air to disperse the crowd, this was reported to have worsened the situation.

The President has however, ordered investigation into the cause of the pandemonium.