Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photograph reveals a basic view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the incident took place

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

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

“8 individuals have since been apprehended for their different involvements”, police spokesperson Adewale Osifeso stated in a declaration.

Among those apprehended 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 actually opened a probe, Osifeso included.

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

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

He prompted the “Oyo State government to take every needed procedure to avoid such a disaster from persisting”, the declaration by the presidency included.

“Among the essential actions are a thorough review of all public events’ security steps, stringent enforcement of safety guidelines, and regular security audits of event locations,” Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has actually seen numerous deadly stampedes in recent months.

In March, 2 students passed away and 23 were injured after being squashed as thousands gathered free of charge bags of rice distributed by regional authorities at Nasarawa State University, in central Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede eliminated 4 ladies who had been waiting outside the office of a wealthy business person 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 pushed to acquire the money, causing a stampede, as Nigeria grappled with its worst economic crisis in a generation.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde had shared his condolences 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 parents whose happiness has unexpectedly been turned to grieving due to these deaths,” he added.