Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

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

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

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

“8 individuals have considering that been jailed for their numerous participations”, authorities representative Adewale Osifeso stated in a statement.

Among those apprehended was the primary 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 actually opened a probe, Osifeso added.

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

He used his “sincere condolences” to locals, state authorities and the “grieving households who have actually lost their beloved kids”.

He urged the “Oyo State federal government to take every necessary procedure to prevent such a tragedy from returning”, the statement by the presidency included.

“Among the necessary actions are a thorough evaluation of all public occasions’ security procedures, rigorous enforcement of safety guidelines, and routine security audits of occasion locations,” Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has actually seen several lethal stampedes in recent months.

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

Later that month, another stampede eliminated four females who had actually been waiting outside the office of a wealthy business person in the northern city of Bauchi to gather 5,000 naira ($3.40) money presents to assist spend for food throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses said members of the crowd pushed to get hold of the money, causing a stampede, as Nigeria grappled with its worst financial crisis in a generation.

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

“Our hearts stay with the households and liked ones impacted by this catastrophe. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” Makinde stated.

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