Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

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

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

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

“8 persons have actually because been apprehended for their different involvements”, authorities spokesperson Adewale Osifeso stated in a statement.

Among those apprehended was the main 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 actually opened a probe, Osifeso added.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in a statement “expressed profound unhappiness over the awful event”.

He provided his “wholehearted acknowledgements” to residents, state authorities and the “grieving families who have lost their beloved children”.

He urged the “Oyo State federal government to take every necessary measure to avoid such a catastrophe from reoccurring”, the declaration by the presidency included.

“Among the necessary actions are a detailed evaluation of all public events’ security procedures, stringent enforcement of safety policies, and regular security audits of occasion locations,” Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

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

In March, 2 students passed away and 23 were injured after being squashed as thousands gathered for complimentary bags of rice distributed by regional authorities at Nasarawa State University, in main Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede killed four ladies who had been waiting outside the office of a wealthy businessman in the northern city of Bauchi to collect 5,000 naira ($3.40) money presents to assist spend for food during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses stated members of the crowd pushed 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 stay with the families and liked ones affected by this disaster. May the souls of the left rest in peace,” Makinde said.

“We sympathise with the moms and dads whose joy has all of a sudden been turned to grieving due to these deaths,” he included.