APC Presidential Campaign In Maidugiri: Six Killed, Many Hospitalized, Buhari Supporters Raze PDP Campaign Office

No fewer than six people amongst them were suspected members of the
All Progressive Congress (APC) including asmhatic patients reportedly
feared dead with several others sustained injuries in a stampede at
the party's presidential campsign/rally held at the Ramat Square,
Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

Vanguard Correspondent who was in the entourage of governor Shettima
reports that six people were killed during the uncoordinated visit, as
the governor had since visited the victims at the hospital.

The rally which was well attended on Saturday by the APC presidential
Candidate, General Mohammed Buhari, his running mate, Professor Yemi
Asibanjo, Governor Kashim Shettima, state and national candidates of
the APC, party stalwarts and thousands of its supporters thronged the
streets as early in the morning, while many others had jump over the
fence to venue of the rally amidst tight security.

Correspondents observed that, due to closure of gates leading to the
venue by security operatives, all the four gates were later broken
down by some rampaging youths, even as many had to scale through the
fence to welcome the general.

Sources said, the five people killed were two asmhatic patients who
were trapped in the stampede at the venue, while others died as a
results of accident and a stray bullet fired by security operatives
while controlling crowded that attempted to burnt down PDP offices in
the state.

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 set
ablaze by APC thugs who overpowered security operatives after breaking
the gate and threw explosives inside.

Many PDP campaign centres located at strategic positions in the city
of Maiduguri were vandalized with posters and bill boards were also
destroyed by hired APC thugs during the visit.

Likewise, 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 the town.
Sources and residents said, the trucks were intercepted around Umar
Shehu General Hospital in Bulumkutu of the metropolis and when the
security men attached with the trucks insisted that the arms and
ammunitions belonged to military operatives, the youths refused to
heed to their explanations, a situation that led to disagreement which
resulted to shooting of the four youths.

Vanguard Correspondent also gathered that one of the youths that were
shot died before reaching hospital for treatment due to excessive
bleeding.

It was also gathered that at the venue of the rally, sporadic
gunshots, including a sustained firing by the Military Armoured
Personnel Carrier and tear gas engulfed the venue of the rally all in
an attempt to control the crowd.

General Buhari who stormed the venue of the rally at 1:30pm could not
address the uncontrolabble crowd, who started vandalizing Channels
cables, stole their cameras which led to the instant cut off of the
live coverage.

Vanguard Correspondent observed that General Buhari had to be sneaked
out of the venue to Government House, Maiduguri where he was expected
to have indoor meeting with some Christian Association of Nigeria
(CAN) officials in the state
--Vanguard