Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photo shows a basic view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the event occurred

A stampede at a school funfair in the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan has eliminated 35 kids and seriously hurt 6 others, police said on Thursday.

The injured children were receiving medical attention following the incident, which happened on Wednesday in Nigeria’s third-largest city, Oyo State stated.

“8 persons have since been detained for their numerous involvements”, authorities representative Adewale Osifeso said in a statement.

Among those detained was the main sponsor of the occasion at the Basorun Islamic High School, which was organised by the Wings Foundation and Agidigbo FM radio.

The Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department has opened a probe, Osifeso included.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in a statement “expressed profound unhappiness over the terrible occurrence”.

He provided his “wholehearted condolences” to locals, state authorities and the “mourning households who have lost their cherished children”.

He advised the “Oyo State federal government to take every needed step to avoid such a catastrophe from repeating”, the declaration by the presidency added.

“Among the important actions are a detailed evaluation of all public occasions’ safety procedures, strict enforcement of safety regulations, and regular safety audits of occasion venues,” Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has actually seen numerous fatal stampedes in recent months.

In March, 2 trainees died and 23 were harmed after being squashed as thousands gathered for complimentary bags of rice given out by local authorities at Nasarawa State University, in main Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede eliminated 4 women who had actually been waiting outside the office of a rich business owner in the northern city of Bauchi to collect 5,000 naira ($3.40) money presents to assist pay for food during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses said members of the crowd pressed to get hold of the cash, causing a stampede, as Nigeria came to grips with its worst recession in a generation.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde had shared his acknowledgements for the Ibadan victims on X on Wednesday.

“Our hearts stay with the households and enjoyed ones affected by this tragedy. May the souls of the left rest in peace,” Makinde stated.

“We sympathise with the parents whose happiness has suddenly been turned to grieving due to these deaths,” he added.