Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This reveals a general view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the incident happened

A stampede at a school funfair in the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan has actually killed 35 children and seriously hurt 6 others, authorities stated on Thursday.

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

“8 persons have because been jailed for their numerous participations”, authorities spokesperson Adewale Osifeso said 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 opened a probe, Osifeso added.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in a statement “expressed extensive sadness over the awful incident”.

He provided his “genuine 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 measure to avoid such a disaster from persisting”, the statement by the presidency added.

“Among the important actions are a detailed evaluation of all public events’ precaution, rigorous enforcement of security policies, and regular security audits of event places,” Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has actually seen a number of lethal stampedes in recent months.

In March, 2 trainees passed away and 23 were hurt after being crushed as thousands gathered for free bags of rice distributed 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 business owner in the northern city of Bauchi to gather 5,000 naira ($3.40) cash presents to assist spend for food during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses stated members of the crowd pushed to acquire the cash, causing a stampede, as Nigeria grappled with its worst economic crisis in a generation.

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

“Our hearts stay with the families and enjoyed ones impacted by this tragedy. May the souls of the left rest in peace,” Makinde stated.

“We sympathise with the parents whose pleasure has all of a sudden been turned to grieving due to these deaths,” he added.