Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial picture reveals a general view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the event took place

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

The injured children were getting medical attention following the incident, which happened on Wednesday in Nigeria’s third-largest city, Oyo State Police Command said.

“8 persons have considering that been apprehended for their various involvements”, police representative Adewale Osifeso said in a declaration.

Among those detained 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 Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department has actually opened a probe, Osifeso included.

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

He provided his “genuine condolences” to locals, state authorities and the “grieving families who have lost their beloved children”.

He advised the “Oyo State federal government to take every required procedure to prevent such a catastrophe from reoccurring”, the declaration by the presidency added.

“Among the essential actions are a comprehensive review of all public events’ precaution, rigorous enforcement of safety guidelines, and regular safety audits of event locations,” Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

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

In March, 2 students died and 23 were injured after being squashed as thousands gathered totally free bags of rice handed out by regional authorities at Nasarawa State University, in main Nigeria.

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

Witnesses stated members of the crowd pushed to get hold of the money, triggering a stampede, as Nigeria faced its worst recession in a generation.

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

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

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