Police in Senegal have arrested ten football fans in relation to a stampede last month in Dakar that led to the deaths of at least eight people.
In a statement by Senegalese Football Federation, those detained include the Chairman of US Ouakam who confirmed that those were fans of his club.
On Tueday, police said they are being held on charges of murder and premeditated assault after the Senegalese Football Federation accused the team of being “fully responsible” for the deaths.
The US Ouakam Chairman is also being accused of withholding information and refusing to help investigators with identifying suspects.
The team’s fans stand accused of sparking the stampede for throwing stones at their rivals triggering the stampede that caused the sidewall of the pavilion to collapse.
The match had to be avandoned in extra-time with Stade de Mbour, from the south of the capital,leading 2-1at the Demba Diop Stadium.
The Senegalese Football Federation handed down a seven-year ban on US Ouakam from all national leagues and fined CFA10 million francs ($18,000).
The league justified the punishment in finding that the Mbour fans were trapped by the falling stadium wall while trying to escape the “fury” of rival fans whose team were headed for defeat.
