Following the Calabar viewing centre tragedy which claimed the lives of 30 Nigerian Manchester United FC supporters after they were electrocuted at a football match viewing centre located in Nyaghassang Community, Calabar Municipality of Cross River State, two of the deceased’s wives have spoken on how they tried preventing their men from the centre.
Recall that the men were electrocuted on Thursday night while watching the return leg match between Manchester United and Anderlecht in the UEFA Europa league.
Speaking on the incident, one of the deceased’s wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Alex Samuel recalled how she tried to prevent her husband from the incident which claimed his life.
The mother of a year-old child noted that had her husband heeded her advice that fateful day, he would be alive.
Speaking to ThisDay, Mrs. Samuel said: “Every day I warned him not to watch football in that viewing centre. That night, he went to watch football. The next thing I heard shouting and they said people have died. I was waiting I did not see him. I heard they had rushed him to the hospital. I was crying throughout. It was yesterday (Friday) they came and told me that my husband was dead.”
Another of the widows, Mary Okon, married to one of the deceased men, Emmanuel Okon said: “I was boiling rice for him and then he decided to go and watch the match. I told him to stay back and eat but he said I should come and meet him when it was ready. When the incident happened I went there to look for him and when I found him he was not moving. There were bodies lying on the floor everywhere. I carried him with the help of his nephew, but he was not responding. His body was cold. With the help of a neighbour who is a taxi man, we carried him to the hospital where we were told he was dead.”
A cousin to the deceased Mr. Emmanuel Okon, Godswill Okon, added: “That evening, me and my uncle were just joking about the match. He is a Man U fan and I am a Chelsea fan. So, we were playfully arguing, and I told him Man U will lose. He said no way that they would win. So, when it was time for the match, he called me to go with him and watch, but I felt somehow and decided not to go.
“Normally, I would have been there to watch the game, but I suddenly did not feel too well. People were even surprised that I did not go to watch. It was while we were at home that we heard the noise, and we went out; and I got there and saw my uncle dead. My uncle was a very loving and kind person. He was the one who was taking care of me. My school fees, accommodation, feeding, clothes, everything. I don’t know what I would do now that he is gone. Who would come to our help?.”