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 happened

A stampede at a school funfair in the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan has actually killed 35 children and seriously injured six others, authorities stated on Thursday.

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

“8 individuals have considering that been arrested for their various involvements”, police spokesperson Adewale Osifeso stated in a statement.

Among those detained was the primary 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 actually opened a probe, Osifeso added.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in a declaration “expressed extensive unhappiness over the terrible event”.

He offered his “wholehearted acknowledgements” to residents, state authorities and the “grieving households who have actually lost their beloved children”.

He urged the “Oyo State government to take every needed procedure to prevent such a tragedy from persisting”, the declaration by the presidency included.

“Among the vital actions are a comprehensive review of all public occasions’ safety measures, rigorous enforcement of security guidelines, and routine safety audits of event places,” Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has actually seen several deadly stampedes in current months.

In March, two students passed away and 23 were injured after being crushed as thousands gathered for free bags of rice distributed by local authorities at Nasarawa State University, in main Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede eliminated 4 women who had actually been waiting outside the office of a person in the northern city of Bauchi to collect 5,000 naira ($3.40) money presents to help spend for food during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses stated members of the crowd pressed to acquire the cash, causing a stampede, as Nigeria faced its worst recession 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 families and loved ones affected by this disaster. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” Makinde stated.

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