No fewer than four persons were reportedly killed and many sustained injuries as a result of a stampede that happened when uncountable numbers of individuals on Sunday stormed the Kogi State warehouse in Lokoja to cart away the remaining palliatives from the building.
The warehouse is located along the Murtala Mohammed way, very close to Kpata market in Lokoja which was invaded as early as 7 am since yesterday Saturday to today Sunday by mostly women and youth who stormed the place for covid-19 palliatives.
The dead victims were reported to have been stepped upon when the gates were widely open for residents of Kogi to move in and take palliatives.
Last week, the state government had commenced the distribution of COVID-19 palliatives to all the 21 local government areas of Kogi State.
Some women in the crowd told our correspondent that they were at the warehouse as directed by the Governor of the State.
“I am here to see if I will be lucky to get some food items for my family since things have not been easy for us since the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Kingsley Fanwo, who is the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, when contacted told H-Forbes that nobody died.
“No one was killed. There were reports of injured persons. They have been treated. Some of them already discharged,” he said.