Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photo shows a general view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the incident happened

A stampede at a school funfair in the city of Ibadan has killed 35 kids and seriously hurt six others, police said 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 because been apprehended for their various participations”, authorities spokesperson Adewale Osifeso stated in a statement.

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 added.

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

He used his “wholehearted condolences” to residents, state authorities and the “grieving families who have lost their precious kids”.

He urged the “Oyo State federal government to take every essential measure to prevent such a catastrophe from returning”, the statement by the presidency included.

“Among the important actions are an extensive evaluation of all public occasions’ precaution, rigorous enforcement of safety regulations, and regular security audits of occasion venues,” Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen numerous fatal stampedes in recent months.

In March, two students died and 23 were hurt after being crushed as thousands collected free of charge bags of rice given out by local authorities at Nasarawa State University, in central Nigeria.

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

Witnesses said members of the crowd pushed to get hold of the money, triggering a stampede, as Nigeria faced its worst economic crisis in a generation.

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

“Our hearts remain with the families and liked ones affected by this disaster. May the souls of the left rest in peace,” Makinde stated.

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