Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photo 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 actually eliminated 35 children and seriously hurt six others, cops stated on Thursday.

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

“8 individuals have actually since been apprehended 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 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 statement “expressed profound sadness over the terrible incident”.

He offered his “wholehearted condolences” to residents, state authorities and the “grieving families who have lost their beloved children”.

He advised the “Oyo State federal government to take every necessary procedure to prevent such a catastrophe from persisting”, the statement by the presidency included.

“Among the essential actions are a thorough evaluation of all public events’ precaution, stringent enforcement of security policies, and regular security audits of occasion venues,” Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen numerous fatal stampedes in current months.

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

Later that month, another stampede eliminated 4 females who had been waiting outside the office of a wealthy entrepreneur in the northern city of Bauchi to collect 5,000 naira ($3.40) money presents to help pay for food throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses said members of the crowd pushed to acquire the money, causing a stampede, as Nigeria came to grips with its worst economic crisis in a generation.

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

“Our hearts stay with the families and enjoyed ones affected by this disaster. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” Makinde said.

“We sympathise with the moms and dads whose pleasure has actually all of a sudden been turned to mourning due to these deaths,” he added.