Stampede in Ibadan funfair

On Wednesday, December 18, 2024, 35 children died in a crowd crush during a Christmas funfair event in Ibadan, Nigeria. The incident occurred at the popular Sango area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The victims were mostly pupils of a primary school who had gone to the funfair with their teachers.

According to eyewitnesses, the stampede was caused by a scramble for gift items being distributed at the event. The children reportedly surged forward to get the gifts, leading to a crush. Many of the victims were trapped under the feet of others and suffocated to death.

The Oyo State Police Command confirmed the death toll and said that six other children were seriously injured. The injured children were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The incident has sent shockwaves across Nigeria and has raised questions about the safety of such events. Many people have called for the government to put in place strict safety measures to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.

The Oyo State Government has declared a three-day mourning period in honor of the victims. Flags are flying at half-mast in all government buildings in the state.

The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and has promised to take action to prevent such incidents from happening again.

The cause of the stampede is still under investigation. However, some eyewitnesses have alleged that the organizers of the event did not properly plan for the large crowd of people that attended.

The Ibadan funfair stampede is a tragic reminder of the importance of safety at public events. It is hoped that the lessons learned from this incident will help to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.