Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photo shows 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 Nigerian city of Ibadan has actually eliminated 35 kids and seriously injured 6 others, authorities stated on Thursday.

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

“8 persons have since been detained for their various participations”, authorities spokesperson Adewale Osifeso stated in a statement.

Among those apprehended was the main 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 opened a probe, Osifeso added.

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

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

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

“Among the vital actions are a detailed review of all public events’ precaution, rigorous enforcement of security policies, and routine safety audits of occasion venues,” Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen a number of deadly stampedes in current months.

In March, two trainees passed away 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 4 who had actually been waiting outside the office of a rich business owner in the northern city of Bauchi to gather 5,000 naira ($3.40) money gifts to help spend for food throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses said members of the crowd pressed to get hold of the cash, causing a stampede, as Nigeria faced its worst recession in a generation.

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

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

“We sympathise with the parents whose delight has all of a sudden been turned to mourning due to these deaths,” he included.