Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photo 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, cops stated on Thursday.

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

“8 individuals have actually given that been apprehended for their various involvements”, authorities representative Adewale Osifeso said in a statement.

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 opened a probe, Osifeso included.

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

He provided his “wholehearted condolences” to residents, state authorities and the “grieving households who have lost their beloved kids”.

He urged the “Oyo State government to take every needed step to avoid such a disaster from reoccurring”, the declaration by the presidency added.

“Among the important actions are a thorough evaluation of all public occasions’ precaution, strict enforcement of security policies, and routine safety audits of event locations,” Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has actually seen a number of lethal stampedes in current months.

In March, two trainees died and 23 were injured after being crushed 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 killed 4 females who had actually been waiting outside the office of a rich business owner in the northern city of Bauchi to gather 5,000 naira ($3.40) money presents to assist pay for food throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses said members of the crowd pushed to acquire the money, triggering a stampede, as Nigeria grappled with its worst recession in a generation.

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

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

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