Yohaig 9JA News

Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial picture shows a basic view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the event happened

A stampede at a school funfair in the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan has eliminated 35 kids and seriously hurt 6 others, cops stated on Thursday.

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

“8 persons have actually given that been arrested for their various involvements”, police representative Adewale Osifeso stated in a declaration.

Among those apprehended 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 opened a probe, Osifeso added.

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

He provided his “wholehearted acknowledgements” to residents, state authorities and the “mourning households who have lost their cherished kids”.

He prompted the “Oyo State government to take every required step to avoid such a tragedy from repeating”, the statement by the presidency included.

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

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has seen numerous deadly stampedes in recent months.

In March, two students died and 23 were hurt after being squashed as thousands collected totally free bags of rice given out by local authorities at Nasarawa State University, in main Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede eliminated 4 females who had been waiting outside the office of a rich business owner in the northern city of Bauchi to collect 5,000 naira ($3.40) cash presents to assist spend for food throughout 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 economic crisis 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 enjoyed ones affected by this tragedy. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” said.

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