Nigeria stampede: Deaths at Buhari rally in Port Harcourt

A number of people have been killed and injured in a stampede at a campaign rally for Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, local officials say.

The incident happened at a stadium in the southern city of Port Harcourt when the crowd surged towards a gate after President Buhari’s speech.

Nigeria holds an election on Saturday in which Mr Buhari is running for his second term.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is seen as Mr Buhari’s main contender.



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What happened at the rally?
The incident happened after President Buhari delivered his speech shortly after 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT) at the Adokiye Amiesimaka stadium, local media report.

Most of the victims are reported to have fallen and been trampled as the crowd tried to force its way through a partially locked gate to follow Mr Buhari as he left the arena.

Injured people were taken to a nearby hospital.

Mr Buhari’s office later said that the president had been informed about “the tragic deaths of several members of his All Progressives Congress (APC) party in a stampede”.

Source: BBC