Nigeria School Fair Stampede Kills 35 Children

This aerial photo shows a basic view of the city of Ibadan in southwestern Nigeria, where the event took place

A stampede at a school funfair in the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan has eliminated 35 kids and seriously injured six others, 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 said.

«8 individuals have actually because been detained for their various involvements», cops representative Adewale Osifeso said in a declaration.

Among those apprehended was the main sponsor of the event 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 «revealed profound sadness over the tragic incident».

He used his «heartfelt acknowledgements» to residents, state authorities and the «grieving families who have actually lost their cherished kids».

He prompted the «Oyo State government to take every required step to avoid such a disaster from repeating», the statement by the presidency added.

«Among the necessary actions are a detailed review of all public occasions’ safety measures, strict enforcement of security guidelines, and regular safety audits of occasion locations,» Tinubu included.

– ‘Rest in peace’ –

Nigeria has actually seen a number of lethal stampedes in current months.

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

Later that month, another stampede eliminated 4 ladies who had been waiting outside the office of a rich entrepreneur in the northern city of Bauchi to gather 5,000 naira ($3.40) cash presents to assist pay for food throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Witnesses said members of the crowd pushed to get hold of the cash, causing 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 stay with the households and loved ones affected by this disaster. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,» Makinde said.

«We sympathise with the moms and dads whose joy has all of a sudden been turned to mourning due to these deaths,» he included.