Education, Politics

Edo Commissioner Paul Ohonbamu Struggles to Provide Details Linking Peter Obi’s Visit to Fatal Stamped

Published by Tope Fakinlede on July 22nd, 2025.

Edo Commissioner Paul Ohonbamu Struggles to Provide Details Linking Peter Obi’s Visit to Fatal Stampede

The Edo State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Paul Ohonbamu, has alleged that the recent visit of Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, sparked a stampede in the state that resulted in the deaths of three individuals. However, Ohonbamu has been unable to specify the exact location where this incident took place.

Speaking in an interview with Channels TV on July 21, the Commissioner claimed the excitement surrounding Obi’s presence triggered the tragic event. Despite this assertion, he did not name the precise site of the stampede within Edo State.

Ohonbamu explained, “Reports confirm that two people died in the hospital after being rushed there. Often, such incidents are not immediately publicized to avoid causing panic. Whenever Obi visits, there’s a surge of enthusiasm among the crowd. People see him as a ‘messiah’ figure and rush forward in excitement. Such emotional reactions can unfortunately lead to stampedes, although this enthusiasm didn’t translate into votes.”

When questioned if the stampede took place during Obi’s visit to the School of Nursing, Ohonbamu responded that Obi visited several locations that day and it’s not certain the stampede occurred specifically at the nursing school.

He revealed the incident occurred on July 7 and stated, “The stampede happened in Benin City, and some victims were hospitalized. I did not accompany Obi on his visits but that’s where I understand it happened. I was prepared to address the press about it but was advised against causing public alarm. Peter Obi is aware of these events.”