Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

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

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

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

“8 persons have since been arrested for their different involvements”, Adewale Osifeso said in a declaration.

Among those apprehended 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 actually opened a probe, Osifeso included.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in a declaration “expressed profound sadness over the terrible occurrence”.

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

He prompted the “Oyo State government to take every needed step to prevent such a catastrophe from repeating”, the statement by the presidency added.

“Among the vital actions are a detailed evaluation of all public occasions’ safety steps, stringent enforcement of security policies, and regular safety audits of occasion venues,” Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen numerous lethal stampedes in recent months.

In March, two trainees died and 23 were injured after being squashed as thousands gathered for free bags of rice distributed by regional authorities at Nasarawa State University, in main Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede eliminated 4 females who had been waiting outside the workplace of a wealthy businessman in the northern city of Bauchi to gather 5,000 naira ($3.40) cash presents to help pay for food throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses said members of the crowd pressed to acquire the cash, triggering 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 said.

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