The Oyo State Police Command says it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the alleged d£ath of 32 children during a stampede at a funfair in Ibadan, the state capital, on Wednesday.
PUNCH Metro gathered from multiple eyewitness accounts that the stampede occurred when participants rushed to gain access to the venue of the event reportedly organised by the ex-queen of the Ooni of Ife, Prophetess Naomi Shikemi, and an Ibadan-based broadcaster, Oriyomi Hamzat.
Investigations by PUNCH Metro also showed that the victims were stamp£ded to d£ath while trying to break through the main gate of the school.
It was further gathered that provision was made for 5,000 children but the number that turned up for the event was reportedly over 7, 500.
Narrating the scenario in a video, an eyewitness at the scene of the incident, who did not mention her name, noted that the organisers had invited 5,000 participants for the funfair but the situation got out of control when the scene became rowdy leading to a stamp£de that led to several casualties.
Another participant claimed he lost a child during the incident.
Multiple sources told our correspondents that some of the children, including their parents, were said to have kept vigil at the venue of the event.
One of our correspondents observed that an uncontrollable crowd caused gridlock on the Basorun-Idi Ape Road.
An Administrative Officer of Patnas Hospital, Basorun, where some of the victims were admitted, Olufeyemi Tolulope, said, “The affected children were brought in some minutes past 8am. Six children were brought into the hospital out of which five d!ed while the other one is recuperating.
One of the parents of the deceased, who was sighted at the hospital premises wailing, said, “I did not bargain for what happened to me. We slept together at home yesterday (Tuesday) not knowing that it would be the last time. My daughter is not d£ad. Please doctor wake her up.”
