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 children and seriously hurt 6 others, police said on Thursday.

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

“8 individuals have actually given that been arrested for their different participations”, cops 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 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 “expressed profound sadness over the tragic occurrence”.

He used his “genuine acknowledgements” to residents, state authorities and the “grieving households who have actually lost their precious children”.

He urged the “Oyo State government to take every necessary measure to prevent such a disaster from persisting”, the statement by the presidency included.

“Among the important actions are a detailed evaluation of all public occasions’ precaution, rigorous enforcement of safety regulations, and routine safety audits of event locations,” Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

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

In March, two students passed away and 23 were hurt after being crushed as thousands collected totally free bags of rice given out by regional authorities at Nasarawa State University, in central Nigeria.

Later that month, another stampede eliminated four females who had actually been waiting outside the workplace of a wealthy entrepreneur in the northern city of Bauchi to gather 5,000 naira ($3.40) cash presents to help spend for food during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses stated members of the crowd pushed to get hold of the cash, triggering a stampede, as Nigeria grappled with 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 families and enjoyed ones affected by this disaster. May the souls of the left rest in peace,” Makinde stated.

“We sympathise with the moms and dads whose happiness has all of a sudden been turned to grieving due to these deaths,” he added.