Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial picture shows a basic view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the occurrence took place

A stampede at a school funfair in the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan has killed 35 kids and seriously injured 6 others, authorities stated on Thursday.

The injured kids were receiving medical attention following the incident, which took place on Wednesday in Nigeria’s third-largest city, Oyo State Police Command said.

“8 persons have actually since been apprehended for their different participations”, authorities representative Adewale Osifeso said 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 declaration “expressed profound unhappiness over the awful event”.

He used his “wholehearted acknowledgements” to locals, state authorities and the “mourning households who have lost their precious kids”.

He prompted the “Oyo State government to take every needed procedure to avoid such a disaster from reoccurring”, the statement by the presidency included.

“Among the necessary actions are a comprehensive review of all public occasions’ security procedures, stringent enforcement of safety regulations, and routine safety audits of occasion locations,” Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen several lethal stampedes in current months.

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

Later that month, another stampede killed 4 ladies who had been waiting outside the workplace of a rich business owner in the northern city of Bauchi to collect 5,000 naira ($3.40) cash presents to assist pay for food throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses stated members of the crowd pressed to acquire the cash, causing a stampede, as Nigeria came to grips with its worst financial crisis 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 households and enjoyed ones affected by this disaster. May the souls of the left rest in peace,” Makinde said.

“We sympathise with the parents whose pleasure has all of a sudden been turned to grieving due to these deaths,” he added.