By Ankeli Emmanuel (In Sokoto State)
Eyewitness account have said no fewer than 9 persons died and over 30 other sustained various degrees of injury at a stampede that occured at the residence of Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamako in Sokoto.
Though, up to the time of filing this report, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Commmd in Sokoto, ASP Ahmed Rufai said they working towards getting the actual number of casualties.
"'We are aware and we on it to get the actual no 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 needy's 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 faithfuls especially during the Ramadan periods.
It is therefore in one of those occasions that, the crowd got swelled up beyond imagination and the struggle for the fittest led to stampede where 9 persons, including a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps were said to have lost their lives.
Reacting to the incident, the Sokoto State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while.expressinh their deep sadness over the incident also extended their heartfelt sympathies to the families 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. NNL.
