Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photograph shows a general view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the incident occurred

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

The injured children were receiving medical attention following the incident, which happened on Wednesday in Nigeria’s third-largest city, Oyo State Police Command said.

“8 persons have actually since been jailed for their various involvements”, police representative Adewale Osifeso stated 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 “revealed extensive unhappiness over the terrible occurrence”.

He provided his “genuine condolences” to locals, state authorities and the “mourning households who have actually lost their precious kids”.

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

“Among the important actions are a detailed review of all public occasions’ safety procedures, strict enforcement of safety regulations, and regular safety audits of occasion places,” Tinubu added.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

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

In March, two trainees died and 23 were harmed after being crushed as thousands collected totally free bags of rice distributed by regional authorities at Nasarawa State University, in central Nigeria.

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

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

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

“Our hearts stay with the households and enjoyed ones impacted by this tragedy. May the souls of the left rest in peace,” Makinde said.

“We sympathise with the parents whose delight has actually unexpectedly been turned to mourning due to these deaths,” he added.