Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photo reveals 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 killed 35 kids and seriously injured 6 others, cops said on Thursday.

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

“8 persons have actually considering that been detained for their different participations”, cops spokesperson Adewale Osifeso said in a statement.

Among those detained was the primary sponsor of the event 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 actually opened a probe, Osifeso included.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in a “expressed profound sadness over the tragic event”.

He offered his “genuine acknowledgements” to residents, state authorities and the “mourning families who have lost their cherished kids”.

He advised the “Oyo State federal government to take every required measure to prevent such a catastrophe from reoccurring”, the statement by the presidency included.

“Among the necessary actions are an extensive evaluation of all public events’ safety measures, strict enforcement of safety policies, and regular security audits of occasion venues,” Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has actually seen several lethal stampedes in current months.

In March, 2 trainees died and 23 were hurt after being crushed as thousands gathered free of charge bags of rice distributed 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 entrepreneur in the northern city of Bauchi to gather 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 get hold of the cash, causing a stampede, as Nigeria faced its worst economic crisis in a generation.

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

“Our hearts remain with the households and enjoyed ones affected by this tragedy. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” Makinde said.

“We sympathise with the moms and dads whose delight has actually unexpectedly been turned to mourning due to these deaths,” he included.