Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photograph shows a basic 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 6 others, authorities said on Thursday.

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

“8 individuals have actually since been apprehended for their different involvements”, authorities representative Adewale Osifeso stated in a statement.

Among those detained was the main sponsor of the event 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 opened a probe, Osifeso added.

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

He used his “sincere acknowledgements” to locals, state authorities and the “mourning families who have actually lost their precious children”.

He prompted the “Oyo State federal government to take every essential step to prevent such a tragedy from persisting”, the statement by the presidency included.

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

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen several lethal stampedes in current months.

In March, 2 students died and 23 were injured after being crushed as thousands gathered free of charge 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 rich entrepreneur in the northern city of Bauchi to gather 5,000 naira ($3.40) money gifts to help pay for food throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses stated members of the crowd pushed to acquire the money, triggering a stampede, as Nigeria came to grips with its worst financial crisis in a generation.

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

“Our hearts stay with the households and enjoyed 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 suddenly been turned to mourning due to these deaths,” he added.