Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial picture shows a general view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the incident occurred

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

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

“8 individuals have considering that been jailed for their different involvements”, cops representative Adewale Osifeso stated in a statement.

Among those detained was the main 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 “revealed extensive sadness over the tragic event”.

He provided his “genuine acknowledgements” to residents, state and the “mourning families who have actually lost their cherished kids”.

He urged the “Oyo State government to take every required step to prevent such a tragedy from returning”, the declaration by the presidency added.

“Among the vital actions are an extensive evaluation of all public events’ precaution, strict enforcement of safety policies, and regular security audits of event venues,” Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

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

In March, 2 students died and 23 were injured after being crushed as thousands gathered totally free bags of rice distributed by local authorities at Nasarawa State University, in central Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede killed four women who had actually been waiting outside the workplace of a rich 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 said members of the crowd pressed to acquire the cash, causing 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 stay with the families and enjoyed ones impacted by this disaster. May the souls of the left rest in peace,” Makinde stated.

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