Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photograph shows a general view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern 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 6 others, police said on Thursday.

The injured children were getting medical attention following the incident, which took place on Wednesday in Nigeria’s third-largest city, Oyo State Police Command stated.

“8 persons have actually given that been detained for their numerous involvements”, authorities spokesperson Adewale Osifeso said 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 opened a probe, Osifeso included.

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

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

He prompted the “Oyo State government to take every needed measure to avoid such a tragedy from persisting”, the statement by the presidency included.

“Among the necessary actions are a detailed evaluation of all public events’ precaution, strict enforcement of safety guidelines, and routine security audits of event places,” Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

has actually seen a number of fatal stampedes in recent months.

In March, two trainees passed away and 23 were harmed after being squashed as thousands collected for totally free bags of rice distributed by regional authorities at Nasarawa State University, in main Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede killed 4 women 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 presents to help pay for food during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses said members of the crowd pushed to acquire the cash, triggering a stampede, as Nigeria faced 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 remain with the families and loved ones affected by this disaster. May the souls of the left rest in peace,” Makinde stated.

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