Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial picture shows a basic view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the event happened

A stampede at a school funfair in the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan has eliminated 35 kids and seriously hurt 6 others, police said on Thursday.

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

“8 persons have considering that been apprehended for their different participations”, cops spokesperson Adewale Osifeso said in a statement.

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

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

He offered his “genuine acknowledgements” to locals, state authorities and the “grieving families who have lost their precious children”.

He advised the “Oyo State government to take every necessary procedure to prevent such a disaster from repeating”, the declaration by the presidency added.

“Among the essential actions are a detailed evaluation of all public events’ security procedures, rigorous enforcement of security policies, and regular security audits of occasion venues,” Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

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

In March, two students passed away and 23 were harmed after being squashed 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 killed 4 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 help spend for food during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

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

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

“Our hearts stay with the families and enjoyed ones impacted by this catastrophe. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” Makinde said.

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