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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 eliminated 35 children and seriously injured 6 others, cops said on Thursday.

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

« 8 individuals have actually since been detained for their different participations », police representative Adewale Osifeso said in a statement.

Among those apprehended was the primary sponsor of the occasion 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 actually opened a probe, Osifeso included.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in a declaration « revealed profound unhappiness over the awful occurrence ».

He used his « genuine condolences » to locals, state authorities and the « grieving families who have lost their precious kids ».

He advised the « Oyo State government to take every essential procedure to avoid such a tragedy from repeating », the statement by the presidency added.

« Among the necessary actions are an extensive review of all public occasions’ safety steps, rigorous enforcement of safety policies, and regular safety audits of occasion locations, » Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has actually seen several lethal stampedes in recent months.

In March, two students died and 23 were harmed after being squashed as thousands collected for totally free bags of rice handed out by local authorities at Nasarawa State University, in main Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede killed four females who had actually been waiting outside the office of a rich business person in the northern city of Bauchi to 5,000 naira ($3.40) money gifts to assist spend for food throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

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

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

« Our hearts stay with the households and liked ones impacted by this disaster. May the souls of the departed rest in peace, » Makinde said.

« We sympathise with the parents whose happiness has actually suddenly been turned to grieving due to these deaths, » he included.