Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photo shows a general 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, authorities stated on Thursday.

The injured kids were getting medical attention following the incident, which took place on Wednesday in city, Oyo State Police Command stated.

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

Among those detained was the primary 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 “revealed extensive sadness over the tragic event”.

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

He advised the “Oyo State government to take every required measure to avoid such a catastrophe from persisting”, the statement by the presidency included.

“Among the vital actions are a comprehensive review of all public occasions’ precaution, strict enforcement of security policies, and regular security audits of occasion locations,” Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has actually seen numerous lethal stampedes in current months.

In March, 2 students passed away and 23 were injured 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 workplace of a wealthy businessman in the northern city of Bauchi to collect 5,000 naira ($3.40) cash gifts to help spend for food during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses stated members of the crowd pressed to get hold of the cash, triggering a stampede, as Nigeria faced its worst recession 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 households and loved ones impacted by this tragedy. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” Makinde said.

“We sympathise with the moms and dads whose happiness has actually unexpectedly been turned to grieving due to these deaths,” he added.