Thirty-five children have died at an end-of-year school funfair in Nigeria after a crowd crush of more than 5,000 people.
Police have arrested eight people who organised the event at the Islamic High School in the Bashorun district of Ibadan, the capital city in Nigeria’s south-west state of Oyo.
According to reports, more than 10,000 people showed up to the event that was marketed as a Christmas end-of-year funfair. Some parents reportedly brought their children to the event at 5am on Wednesday morning (local time), hours before the event was due to commence.
The event organisers promised free food for attendees and cash handouts of 5,000 naira per person (about $5 AUD).
It is reported that when organisers arrived, more than 5,000 people gathered, resulting in the crowd crush. Police are yet to confirm the sequence of events leading up to what happened.
The crush resulted in 35 children killed and six others hospitalised.
Seyi Makinde, the Oyo state governor, released a statement on X sending his condolences to the families affected by the tragic event.
“Our hearts remain with the families and loved ones impacted by this tragedy,” Governor Makinde wrote.
“May the souls of the departed rest in peace. We sympathise with the parents whose joy has suddenly been turned to mourning due to these deaths.”
Bola Tinubu, president of Nigeria, also released a statement expressing his “profound sadness over the tragic incident” and ordered a thorough investigation into what occurred.
“Among the essential actions are a comprehensive review of all public events’ safety measures, strict enforcement of safety regulations, and regular safety audits of event venues,” President Tinubu said.
According to the World Food Programme, more than a third (37 per cent) of Nigeria’s population live below the poverty line. About 26.5 million people experienced hunger this year, and in northeast Nigeria, 4.4 million people are food insecure.
Women and children also experience heightened food and nutrition insecurity: according to the UN, 5.4 million children and 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women face the threat of acute malnutrition or wasting.
This tragic event in Ibadan is not the only one of its kind this year. In February, five people were killed and dozens injured in Lagos, Nigeria from a crowd surge, as the Nigerian Customs Service were auctioning off seized bags of rice.
In March, two female students at the Nasarawa State University were crushed to death, and 23 others were injured, during a rice distribution program.
Days later, another crowd surge killed at least seven people, as a philanthropist and businessman was distributing cash handouts of 5,000 naira.