Posted by By LAMBERT TYEM, Abuja on
The Police Marathon race sponsored by MTN Nigeria Communications Limited, one of the leading GSM service providers, ended tragically yesterday at the Eagle Square, Abuja, with the death of one marathoner identified as Baba Mohammed.
The Police Marathon race sponsored by MTN Nigeria Communications Limited, one of the leading GSM service providers, ended tragically yesterday at the Eagle Square, Abuja, with the death of one marathoner identified as Baba Mohammed.
The sad event occurred during the sharing of Nokia handsets promised the first 200 best runners by the organizers.
Trouble started immediately when the organizers stopped giving out the phones complaining that the beneficiaries were not organized and walked away with the handsets.
The decision angered those waiting to collect the gifts, causing them to resort to protest and vandalisation of properties belonging to the organizers.
Policemen who were drafted to guard the venue of the event were eventually invited by the organizers to clear the arena.
In order to carry out the instruction, the police had to use force, shooting teargas, causing more panic. In the process some of them sustained injuries and were later rushed to the Maitama General hospital.
According to eyewitness account, one of the critically injured persons, Baba Mohammed, a middle aged managed to get to the hospital, but gave up the ghost before help could get to him.
All efforts to reach both the Force Public Relations Officers and the FCT spokesman proved abortive at the time of filing this report. They switched off their phones permanently.
However, FCT Police Commissioner, John Haruna, in a telephone conversation denied knowledge of the death at the event, adding that if there was any such event, he was yet to be briefed by his men.
"There is nothing like that and if at all there is something that somebody died after I might have left the place, my DC or DPO could have told me by now" the CP said.