Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

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

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

The hurt kids were receiving 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 apprehended for their different involvements”, cops representative Adewale Osifeso said in a declaration.

Among those detained was the main sponsor of the occasion 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 added.

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

He offered his “sincere acknowledgements” to residents, state authorities and the “grieving families who have lost their cherished children”.

He advised the “Oyo State government to take every essential step to prevent such a catastrophe from repeating”, the statement by the presidency included.

“Among the important actions are a thorough review of all public events’ security procedures, rigorous enforcement of safety guidelines, and regular security audits of occasion venues,” Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has actually seen several lethal stampedes in recent months.

In March, two students passed away and 23 were harmed after being squashed as thousands gathered free of charge bags of rice given out by local authorities at Nasarawa State University, in main Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede eliminated four ladies who had actually been waiting outside the office of a rich businessman in the northern city of Bauchi to collect 5,000 naira ($3.40) cash gifts to assist spend for food throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

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

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

“Our hearts remain with the households and loved ones impacted by this catastrophe. May the souls of the left rest in peace,” Makinde stated.

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