Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photo shows a basic view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the occurrence occurred

A stampede at a school funfair in the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan has killed 35 children and seriously hurt six others, cops said on Thursday.

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

“8 individuals have since been jailed for their different involvements”, authorities spokesperson Adewale Osifeso said in a statement.

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

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

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

He prompted the “Oyo State government to take every necessary step to avoid such a disaster from persisting”, the declaration by the presidency added.

“Among the necessary actions are a detailed review of all public occasions’ precaution, stringent enforcement of security policies, and routine security audits of event locations,” Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

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

In March, two students died and 23 were injured after being crushed as for totally free bags of rice given out by regional authorities at Nasarawa State University, in central Nigeria.

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

Witnesses stated members of the crowd pressed to get hold of the money, causing a stampede, as Nigeria faced its worst recession 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 families and liked ones affected by this tragedy. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” Makinde stated.

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