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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 occurred

A stampede at a school funfair in the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan has killed 35 children and seriously hurt 6 others, cops 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 said.

« 8 persons have actually considering that been arrested for their various participations », cops representative Adewale Osifeso said in a statement.

Among those detained was the primary 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 statement « revealed extensive unhappiness over the tragic event ».

He used his « genuine acknowledgements » to residents, state authorities and the « grieving households who have lost their cherished children ».

He prompted the « Oyo State government to take every necessary procedure to prevent such a catastrophe from reoccurring », the statement by the presidency included.

« Among the necessary actions are a comprehensive evaluation of all public events’ precaution, rigorous enforcement of security guidelines, and regular security audits of occasion places, » Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen a number of lethal stampedes in current months.

In March, two trainees died and 23 were injured after being squashed as thousands gathered free of charge bags of rice given out by local authorities at Nasarawa State University, in main Nigeria.

Later that month, another 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) money gifts to assist spend for food during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses said members of the crowd pressed to acquire the money, triggering a stampede, as Nigeria came to grips with its worst recession in a generation.

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

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

« We sympathise with the parents whose pleasure has all of a sudden been turned to grieving due to these deaths, » he included.