Many injured, PDP office attacked, TV equipment damaged

NO fewer than six people, amongst them suspected members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) including asthmatic patients were reportedly feared dead with several others injured in a stampede at the party’s presidential campaign of its candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari held at Ramat Square, Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

    Sources said, of the people killed were two asthmatic patients, who were trapped in the melee, while others died as a result of accident and stray bullet fired by security operatives who were trying to control the huge audience and some hoodlums, who took advantage of the mammoth people to attempt to storm PDP offices nearby.

          The hoodlums also vandalized Channels TV equipment, Ramat Square rails and gates and the campaign office of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) office.

    Also the PDP campaign office of ex- governor Ali Modu Sheriff located few metres to the venue of the rally along Kashim Ibrahim Way was razed by thugs who overpowered security operatives after breaking the gate.

      The disruption of the APC presidential campaign rally commenced when security operatives closed the three gates to Ramat Square, venue of the rally, as at 10am. The closure was said to control massive crowd entering the square, before the arrival of Gen. Buhari from the Shehu’s palace, Maiduguri.

         Some party supporters had to climb the fence to gain entry into the square, despite the firing of gunshots by military into the air to scare the surging mammoth crowd to welcome their APC presidential candidate.

        Shocked by the mammoth crowd’s unruly behaviour, Buhari, who stood on the podium square at 1.30pm, could not speak, as the entire square was filled up with excitement and uncoordinated shouts at the presidential candidate.

        Sensing fears of insecurity among the mammoth crowd and APC members and supporters, security personnel immediately whisked away Buhari from the podium.

    Earlier at the Shehu of Bornu’s palace, Gen. Buhari pledged that as soon as the captured towns and villages are reclaimed by the military, destroyed houses and communities would be rebuilt to enable the people return and continue with their socio-economic activities.

    His words: “Your royal highness, what I can offer to the people of Borno State if they elected me President of Nigeria would be to rebuild all the destroyed houses and communities, before the people could return to their homes and places of abode.”

He also assured the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi that more jobs will be created for the massive unemployed youths in the country.

“I am here to assured you that if I am elected to be the president of this country on the platform of APC, there will be more ‘confidence’ in my four-year administration, that our supporters are expecting from me.”

    On how people killed, a military source at the square also said: “Some asthmatic patients who were trapped in the stampede at the venue were killed, while others died as a results of accident and a stray bullets fired by security operatives while controlling crowded that attempted to burn down the PDP offices on Kashim Ibrahim Way, and 400 metres away from this venue.

    “Several PDP campaign centres located at strategic positions in this city were also vandalized, including posters and bill boards were pulled down and torched by hired APC thugs during the three- our visit of Gen. Buhari to Maiduguri.”

    Speaking on other casualties, the military source added: “Four people who claimed to be members of Civilian JTF were shot by security operatives while attempting to stop two trucks loaded with military arms and ammunitions that were entering this town.”

    Sources and residents said the trucks were intercepted around Umar Shehu ultramodern Hospital, Bulumkutu; when the security men attached with the trucks insisted that the arms and ammunitions belonged to military operatives, the youths refused to heed to our explanations.