Awwal 09, 1432 H/Feb 12, 2011, SPA -- A police official in Nigeria says 31 people have been injured in a stampede at an election rally in the oil-rich southern delta attended by President Goodluck Jonathan. Rivers state police spokesman Rita Inoma-Abbey told The Associated Press on Saturday that the stampede began as people tried to push their way into the Port Harcourt Liberation Stadium. Jonathan wasn't injured. Inoma-Abbey said she had no information about fatalities, though a spokesman for Jonathan later issued a statement saying there had been an «unfortunate loss of some lives.» Such stampedes remain a danger at large events in Nigeria, where police often have no formal training handling large crowds. The rally comes as Nigeria prepares for elections in April.
