Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

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

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

The hurt children were getting medical attention following the event, which took location on Wednesday in Nigeria’s third-largest city, Oyo State Police Command stated.

“8 individuals have actually because been jailed for their numerous participations”, cops spokesperson Adewale Osifeso stated in a declaration.

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 opened a probe, Osifeso added.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in a statement “expressed extensive sadness over the tragic occurrence”.

He provided his “heartfelt acknowledgements” to residents, state authorities and the “mourning families who have actually lost their cherished children”.

He prompted the “Oyo State federal government to take every required procedure to avoid such a catastrophe from returning”, the statement by the presidency included.

“Among the vital actions are a detailed evaluation of all public events’ security measures, strict enforcement of safety regulations, and regular safety audits of occasion venues,” Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

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

In March, 2 trainees died and 23 were injured after being crushed as thousands collected for free bags of rice handed out by regional authorities at Nasarawa State University, in main Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede killed four women who had been waiting outside the workplace of a wealthy entrepreneur 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 stated members of the crowd pushed to get hold of the cash, causing a stampede, as Nigeria faced its worst recession in a generation.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde had shared his for the Ibadan victims on X on Wednesday.

“Our hearts remain with the families and loved ones affected by this disaster. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” Makinde stated.

“We sympathise with the parents whose happiness has actually all of a sudden been turned to mourning due to these deaths,” he included.