By OKECHUKWU PEACE
About five persons were reported dead in a mad rush while waiting to collect Ramadan gifts from a businessman in Kaduna on Monday, July 13.
The incident happened when people learnt that a businessman, who deals in dairy products, was sharing gifts at the Kabala Constain area in Kaduna North local government area of the state.
An unspecified number of people reportedly fainted in the confusion.
An eyewitness at the venue said that a large number of people flooded the place where the gifts were being shared. He said everyone was there, both able and physically challenged persons came in their hundreds, the whole place became chaotic which led to a stampede.
Bala Mohammed, a cripple, said when they arrived at the venue, his set was ordered to queue on a separate line while the able and women also have their own line. Mohammed stated that when the businessman arrived to give out the gifts, the women line was first chosen and it was in the process that the stampede occurred, which led to the death of five persons. Confirming the incident, Kaduna Police Command’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Zubairu, said nobody died during the stampede. He added that the command deployed its personnel to the venue explaining that the team did not report any death. But, Zanaib Mohammed, another eyewitness told reporters that her sister informed her that there would be sharing of gifts at Tyosco Yoghurt, but lamented that her sister was one of the victims of the stampede.
Another eyewitness said that the police were invited to the scene when the situation started degenerating. The police were still seen trying to control the crowd who continued to wait to collect their own share of the gifts.
