Calabar football tragedy: ‘Love for Man United has finally taken our breadwinner away’
For Mrs Maria Paul Ene, mother of three little children, life will never be the same again as her husband of ten years, Paul Ene, 42, a contract driver, was one of those killed Thursday night as a result of the high tension wire which fell on the roof of a football viewing centre in the Atimbo area of Calabar.
Sobbing profusely, Maria, a petty trader, said she had returned from the nearby Atimbo Street market at about 7.30pm to prepare the evening meal when her husband who had also returned from the day’s runs, decided to go to his favourite football viewing spot to watch his beloved team, Manchester United play against Anderlecht. It was a UEFA Europa League quarterfinal match in which the English club, Manchester United, progressed to the semi finals after beating the Belgians 2-1 in a pulsating encounter.
Soon after, there was pandemonium around the viewing the centre and Maria rushed out to find out what the matter was. She could not immediately see her husband and a call placed to his phone did not go through. She became panicky, and her fears became worse when a neighbour told her she saw her husband fall down and was trampled on in the ensuing stampede. “His love for Man U has taken our breadwinner away.”
One Mr Aniefiok James, 37, who is a civilian staff at the Navy barrack, said he was very lucky to have escaped because “something told me to return home to see my wife.”
Visibly shaken by the incident, Aniefiok said: “Unlike me, I abandoned the match which involved my favourite team, Man U, to see her. I cannot describe what forced me out of that place even though I had paid. It cannot be anything else than God. And so, my brother, I am very thankful to Him.”
Another eye witness, Saviour Chukwu, who sells second hand shoes, said: “I was ready to close my shop when I heard about the stampede. We were very careful not to get very close so that we, too, won’t be consumed. We however helped to evacuate the remains of those affected when the Police van came.”
Comrade Prince Bassey Edun, secretary of the Qua clan, explained that following power fluctuation, there was a spark when the wire fell, which electrocuted several persons. He blamed the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, saying they never listened to their complaints and petitions about the state of power installations in the neighbourhood. Edun also heaped blames on the state government for allowing ramshackle structures in the area.
More than 30 football enthusiasts were said to have lost their lives when power surged as a result of cloudy wind. This, according to eye witnesses, had forced the high tension wire to fall on the roof of the football viewing centre which was zincpaneled. It immediately electrocuted them and ignited fire simultaneously.
However, Dr Thomas Agan, chief medical director of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, said “Only 18 men badly affected by the electrocution and burnt were brought here very late yesterday night. Seven of them whose cases were dire, died almost immediately. They have been moved to the morgue. Others are responding to treatment,” he told the deputy governor, Prof Ivara Esu, who rushed to the scene of the incident and the hospital early Friday morning.
Governor Ben Ayade had described the incident as tragic and horrifying, disclosing that the state government will offer assistance to the victims and their families. He has however ordered the setting up of a commission of inquiry on the viewing centre tragedy. Members of the commission will be named soon, according to Christian Ita, his chief media adviser.
Speaking about the tragedy on his Facebook page, chairman of the state sports commission, Chief Orok Duke, described the incident as sad, gory and one that should have been prevented had the operators taken cognizance of their place of business. “People should know that living under or close to high tension wires is extremely dangerous,” he wrote.