Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial picture reveals a basic view of the city of Ibadan in Nigeria, where the occurrence took place

A stampede at a school funfair in the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan has eliminated 35 children and seriously injured six others, cops said on Thursday.

The hurt children were getting medical attention following the incident, which took location on Wednesday in Nigeria’s third-largest city, Oyo State Police Command said.

“8 individuals have since been detained for their different participations”, authorities spokesperson Adewale Osifeso said in a declaration.

Among those detained was the primary sponsor of the event at the Basorun Islamic High School, which was arranged by the Wings Foundation and Agidigbo FM radio.

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

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

He offered his “genuine acknowledgements” to locals, state authorities and the “mourning families who have lost their precious kids”.

He urged the “Oyo State government to take every necessary measure to prevent such a disaster from returning”, the statement by the presidency included.

“Among the necessary actions are an extensive evaluation of all public occasions’ precaution, strict enforcement of security regulations, and routine safety audits of event locations,” Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen several fatal stampedes in current months.

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

Later that month, another stampede eliminated 4 ladies who had been waiting outside the office of a wealthy businessman in the northern city of Bauchi to gather 5,000 naira ($3.40) money gifts to assist spend for food during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses said members of the crowd pushed to get hold of the money, causing a stampede, as Nigeria grappled with its worst economic crisis 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 families and enjoyed ones impacted by this catastrophe. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” Makinde stated.

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