Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photograph shows a general view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the event took place

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

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

“8 persons have given that been jailed for their different involvements”, police representative Adewale Osifeso said in a declaration.

Among those apprehended was the primary 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 actually opened a probe, Osifeso included.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in a declaration “revealed extensive sadness over the terrible event”.

He offered his “genuine acknowledgements” to residents, state authorities and the “mourning households who have lost their cherished children”.

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

“Among the necessary actions are an extensive evaluation of all public occasions’ precaution, stringent enforcement of safety regulations, and routine safety audits of event venues,” Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has actually seen numerous lethal stampedes in recent months.

In March, two trainees died and 23 were harmed after being squashed as thousands collected totally free bags of rice distributed by regional authorities at Nasarawa State University, in central Nigeria.

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

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

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

“Our hearts remain with the families and liked ones impacted by this tragedy. May the souls of the left rest in peace,” Makinde said.

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