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 6 others, police said on Thursday.

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

“8 persons have considering that been detained for their various involvements”, authorities spokesperson Adewale Osifeso stated in a declaration.

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

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

He offered his “sincere condolences” to residents, state authorities and the “grieving households who have actually lost their precious children”.

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

“Among the essential actions are a comprehensive review of all public occasions’ safety steps, rigorous enforcement of safety policies, and regular safety audits of occasion locations,” Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen numerous deadly stampedes in recent months.

In March, 2 students died and 23 were harmed after being crushed as thousands gathered for complimentary bags of rice distributed by local authorities at Nasarawa State University, in central Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede eliminated 4 females who had actually been waiting outside the office of a wealthy business owner in the northern city of Bauchi to collect 5,000 naira ($3.40) cash gifts to assist spend for food during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses stated members of the crowd pushed to acquire the cash, triggering a stampede, as Nigeria faced its worst 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 liked ones affected by this catastrophe. May the souls of the left rest in peace,” Makinde said.

“We sympathise with the parents whose pleasure has actually unexpectedly been turned to grieving due to these deaths,” he included.