Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photo shows a general view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the incident took place

A stampede at a school funfair in the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan has actually eliminated 35 kids and seriously hurt 6 others, cops said on Thursday.

The hurt kids were receiving medical attention following the occurrence, which occurred on Wednesday in Nigeria’s third-largest city, Oyo State Police Command said.

« 8 persons have actually considering that been jailed for their different involvements », authorities spokesperson 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 « expressed profound sadness over the tragic occurrence ».

He used his « sincere acknowledgements » to locals, state authorities and the « mourning families who have lost their precious children ».

He urged the « Oyo State government to take every necessary step to prevent such a catastrophe from returning », the declaration by the presidency added.

« Among the necessary actions are a thorough review of all public occasions’ precaution, stringent enforcement of safety regulations, and routine security audits of event venues, » Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen several lethal stampedes in recent months.

In March, two trainees died and 23 were harmed after being crushed as thousands gathered free of charge bags of rice given out by regional authorities at Nasarawa State University, in main Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede killed four females who had been waiting outside the office of a wealthy business owner in the of Bauchi to gather 5,000 naira ($3.40) cash gifts to help spend 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 came to grips with its worst financial crisis 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 households and loved 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 all of a sudden been turned to mourning due to these deaths, » he included.