A stampede at a holiday funfair in southwestern Nigeria resulted in the deaths of several children on Wednesday, according to authorities. The incident occurred at the Islamic High School in Basorun, Oyo State, near the economic hub of Lagos.
Security forces responded to the scene and arrested the event organizers, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde said in a statement. “Earlier today, an incident occurred in Islamic High School Basorun, the venue of an event organized for families. Sadly, a stampede at the venue has led to multiple loss of lives and injuries. This is a very sad day,” Makinde said.
The governor extended his condolences to grieving families, saying, “We sympathize with the parents whose joy has suddenly been turned to mourning due to these deaths.”
Nigeria’s national emergency services deployed a team to provide assistance to victims, while injured children were taken to nearby hospitals. Parents were urged to check local hospitals for missing children.
Video footage from the scene showed a large crowd of mostly children gathered in an open field as others were carried away. Local media identified the event organizers as the Women In Need Of Guidance and Support Foundation, which reportedly hosted a similar event last year. Organizers had planned to host up to 5,000 children this year, according to Oyo-based Agidigbo FM, which had interviewed the group earlier this week. They had promised prizes such as scholarships and other gifts for attendees.
Governor Makinde confirmed that an investigation is underway to determine the causes of the stampede. He also stated that “anyone directly or remotely involved in this disaster will be held accountable.”
