Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photograph reveals a basic view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the occurrence occurred

A stampede at a school funfair in the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan has actually killed 35 kids and seriously hurt six others, police stated on Thursday.

The injured children were receiving medical attention following the event, which took place on Wednesday in Nigeria’s third-largest city, Oyo State Police Command said.

“8 persons have since been detained for their various participations”, authorities representative Adewale Osifeso stated in a declaration.

Among those detained was the main sponsor of the event 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 has opened a probe, Osifeso added.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in a statement “revealed extensive unhappiness over the tragic incident”.

He offered his “wholehearted condolences” to locals, state authorities and the “grieving households who have lost their beloved kids”.

He urged the “Oyo State government to take every essential procedure to avoid such a tragedy from repeating”, the statement by the presidency added.

“Among the important actions are a comprehensive evaluation of all public occasions’ precaution, stringent enforcement of security guidelines, and routine security audits of occasion venues,” Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has actually seen several deadly stampedes in current months.

In March, 2 students died and 23 were hurt after being squashed as thousands collected totally free bags of rice distributed by local authorities at Nasarawa State University, in central Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede killed four women who had been waiting outside the workplace of a rich businessman in the northern city of Bauchi to gather 5,000 naira ($3.40) money presents to help pay for food during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses stated members of the crowd pressed to get hold of the cash, triggering a stampede, as Nigeria faced its worst financial crisis in a generation.

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

“Our hearts stay with the households and loved ones affected by this tragedy. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” Makinde said.

“We sympathise with the moms and dads whose delight has unexpectedly been turned to mourning due to these deaths,” he added.