Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photo reveals a general view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the event happened

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

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

“8 persons have actually given that been arrested for their different involvements”, police 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 sadness over the awful event”.

He used his “genuine condolences” to residents, state authorities and the “grieving households who have lost their beloved children”.

He advised the “Oyo State federal government to take every essential step to prevent such a catastrophe from reoccurring”, the statement by the presidency added.

“Among the essential actions are an extensive evaluation of all public occasions’ safety steps, rigorous enforcement of safety guidelines, and regular safety audits of occasion places,” Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen several fatal stampedes in current months.

In March, two trainees died and 23 were injured after being crushed as thousands collected free of charge bags of rice distributed by local authorities at Nasarawa State University, in central Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede killed 4 women who had been waiting outside the workplace of a wealthy entrepreneur in the northern city of Bauchi to gather 5,000 naira ($3.40) money presents to assist spend for food throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses stated members of the crowd pressed to acquire the money, triggering a stampede, as Nigeria grappled with its worst financial crisis in a generation.

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

“Our hearts remain with the families and liked ones affected by this catastrophe. May the souls of the left rest in peace,” Makinde said.

“We sympathise with the parents whose joy has suddenly been turned to mourning due to these deaths,” he included.