Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photo reveals 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 children and seriously 6 others, cops 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 individuals have actually considering that been detained for their various participations”, cops representative Adewale Osifeso stated in a statement.

Among those detained was the primary sponsor 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 “expressed profound sadness over the terrible occurrence”.

He offered his “heartfelt condolences” to residents, state authorities and the “mourning families who have lost their beloved kids”.

He urged the “Oyo State government to take every necessary measure to avoid such a tragedy from repeating”, the statement by the presidency included.

“Among the vital actions are a comprehensive evaluation of all public occasions’ safety steps, strict enforcement of security policies, and regular security audits of event places,” Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen several lethal stampedes in current months.

In March, 2 students passed away and 23 were injured after being squashed as thousands collected free of charge bags of rice distributed by local authorities at Nasarawa State University, in main Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede killed 4 women who had actually been waiting outside the workplace of a rich entrepreneur in the northern city of Bauchi to gather 5,000 naira ($3.40) cash gifts to assist pay for food during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

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

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

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

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