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 actually killed 35 children and seriously hurt six others, police stated on Thursday.

The injured children were receiving medical attention following the incident, which happened on Wednesday in city, Oyo State Police Command said.

“8 individuals have since been detained for their numerous involvements”, authorities representative Adewale Osifeso stated in a statement.

Among those detained was the primary 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 added.

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

He used his “genuine condolences” to locals, state authorities and the “mourning families who have actually lost their precious children”.

He urged the “Oyo State government to take every necessary procedure to avoid such a catastrophe from repeating”, the statement by the presidency included.

“Among the essential actions are a detailed review of all public events’ safety measures, rigorous enforcement of safety policies, and regular safety audits of occasion places,” Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen numerous fatal stampedes in recent months.

In March, 2 trainees passed away and 23 were injured after being squashed as thousands collected totally free bags of rice handed out by local authorities at Nasarawa State University, in main Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede eliminated 4 women who had been waiting outside the office of a wealthy businessman in the northern city of Bauchi to gather 5,000 naira ($3.40) money presents to assist pay for food during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses said members of the crowd pressed to get hold of the cash, causing a stampede, as Nigeria grappled 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 households and loved ones impacted by this tragedy. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” Makinde stated.

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