Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photograph reveals a basic view of the city of Ibadan in Nigeria, where the event occurred

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

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

“8 individuals have actually given that been detained for their various involvements”, cops representative Adewale Osifeso said in a declaration.

Among those detained was the main 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 added.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in a statement “revealed profound sadness over the tragic incident”.

He provided his “wholehearted acknowledgements” to locals, state authorities and the “mourning households who have lost their beloved children”.

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

“Among the necessary actions are a detailed review of all public events’ security procedures, rigorous enforcement of security regulations, and routine safety audits of occasion locations,” Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen a number of deadly stampedes in recent months.

In March, 2 students passed away and 23 were injured after being squashed as thousands gathered totally free bags of rice distributed by local authorities at Nasarawa State University, in central Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede eliminated 4 females who had been waiting outside the workplace of a rich business person in the northern city of Bauchi to gather 5,000 naira ($3.40) cash gifts to assist spend for food throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses said members of the crowd pressed to get hold of the cash, triggering a stampede, as Nigeria came to grips with 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 families and liked ones affected by this disaster. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” Makinde said.

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