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 happened

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

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

“8 persons have since been apprehended for their different involvements”, authorities spokesperson Adewale Osifeso said in a declaration.

Among those detained 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 added.

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

He provided his “genuine condolences” to locals, state and the “mourning families who have actually lost their precious children”.

He advised the “Oyo State federal government to take every necessary measure to prevent such a catastrophe from returning”, the declaration by the presidency added.

“Among the vital actions are a thorough evaluation of all public occasions’ safety procedures, stringent enforcement of security guidelines, and routine security audits of event places,” Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen numerous lethal stampedes in current months.

In March, two students died and 23 were harmed after being crushed as thousands collected totally free bags of rice handed out by local authorities at Nasarawa State University, in main Nigeria.

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

Witnesses said members of the crowd pushed to acquire the cash, triggering a stampede, as Nigeria faced its worst recession 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 disaster. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” Makinde stated.

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