Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

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

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

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

“8 individuals have because been jailed for their various participations”, 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 organised by the Wings Foundation and Agidigbo FM radio.

The Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department has opened a probe, Osifeso included.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in a declaration “expressed extensive sadness over the awful event”.

He provided his “wholehearted condolences” to residents, state authorities and the “mourning families who have actually lost their precious children”.

He prompted the “Oyo State government to take every essential measure to prevent such a catastrophe from repeating”, the declaration by the presidency included.

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

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen several fatal stampedes in recent months.

In March, two students died and 23 were injured 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 eliminated four ladies who had actually been waiting outside the office of a wealthy business owner in the northern city of Bauchi to collect 5,000 naira ($3.40) cash presents to help spend for food during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

members of the crowd pressed to get hold of the cash, triggering 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 remain 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 parents whose pleasure has actually suddenly been turned to grieving due to these deaths,” he added.