Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photo 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 killed 35 kids and seriously injured six others, police said on Thursday.

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

“8 persons have actually because been apprehended for their different participations”, police representative Adewale Osifeso said in a declaration.

Among those detained was the of the occasion 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 added.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in a statement “revealed profound unhappiness over the tragic occurrence”.

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

He urged the “Oyo State federal government to take every essential procedure to prevent such a disaster from reoccurring”, the declaration by the presidency included.

“Among the essential actions are an extensive evaluation of all public occasions’ precaution, strict enforcement of security policies, and routine safety audits of occasion places,” Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen several lethal stampedes in current months.

In March, 2 trainees died and 23 were hurt after being crushed as thousands collected free of charge bags of rice distributed by regional authorities at Nasarawa State University, in central Nigeria.

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

Witnesses stated members of the crowd pushed to get hold of the money, causing 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 loved ones impacted by this catastrophe. 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 mourning due to these deaths,” he added.