Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photograph reveals a basic 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 killed 35 children and seriously 6 others, cops said on Thursday.

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

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

Among those apprehended was the main sponsor of the occasion at the Basorun Islamic High School, which was organised 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 profound unhappiness over the terrible occurrence”.

He offered his “wholehearted condolences” to locals, state authorities and the “mourning families who have actually lost their precious kids”.

He urged the “Oyo State government to take every necessary measure to prevent such a tragedy from reoccurring”, the declaration by the presidency included.

“Among the vital actions are a comprehensive review of all public occasions’ precaution, stringent enforcement of safety regulations, and regular security audits of event locations,” Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen several fatal stampedes in recent months.

In March, 2 students died and 23 were harmed after being crushed as thousands collected for complimentary bags of rice given out by local authorities at Nasarawa State University, in central Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede killed 4 women who had actually been waiting outside the workplace of a wealthy business person in the northern city of Bauchi to collect 5,000 naira ($3.40) cash gifts to help pay for food throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses stated members of the crowd pressed to acquire the money, causing a stampede, as Nigeria grappled with 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 affected by this disaster. May the souls of the left rest in peace,” Makinde stated.

“We sympathise with the moms and dads whose happiness has suddenly been turned to mourning due to these deaths,” he added.