Nigeria school fair stampede kills 35 children
LAGOS—A stampede at a school funfair in the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan has killed 35 children and seriously injured six others, police said on Thursday.
The injured children were receiving medical attention following the incident, which took place on Wednesday in Nigeria’s third-largest city, Oyo State Police Command said.
“Eight persons have since been arrested for their various involvements,” police spokesperson Adewale Osifeso said in a statement.
Among those detained was the main sponsor of the event at Basorun Islamic High School, which was organized 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 incident.”
Review
He offered his “heartfelt condolences” to locals, state authorities and the “grieving families who have lost their beloved children.”
He urged the “Oyo State government to take every necessary measure to prevent such a tragedy from reoccurring,” the statement by the presidency added.
“Among the essential actions are a comprehensive review of all public events’ safety measures,” Tinubu added.
