An unspecified number of persons are feared to have lost their lives due to overcrowding and stampede at the All Progressive Congress (APC) Presidential campaign rally in Jalingo, the Taraba state Capital.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, confirming the incident, said President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed profound sadness over of loss of lives at the rally on Thursday.
The exact number of those who lost their lives could not be immediately ascertained as at the time of filing in this report.
The President however, regretted the tragic death of the APC supporters which occurred due to the overwhelming crowd at the Jolly Nyame Stadium.
According to a statement by Shehu, the President lamented the sacrifice of the supporters who had thronged out enmass to show their support for him.
“I always feel very sad and distressed when ordinary Nigerians who love me and our party because of what we stand for and have done, make personal sacrifices by taking the pains to show their support, end their lives tragically.”
While appreciating the massive support he is receiving all over the country, President Buhari calls for restraint on the part of his supporters to avoid such tragic incidences, and improved crowd management at rally grounds.
“I want them to stay alive and witness the dividends of purposeful governance that the APC administration will unfold when they renew our mandate,” he said.
Commiserating with the families of the victims and the APC family, the President prays Almighty God to grant peace to the souls of the departed and speedy recovery to the injured.
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
