Ibadan Christmas funfair crowd crush
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| Ibadan Christmas funfair crowd crush | |
|---|---|
| Date | 18 December 2024 |
| Location | |
| Caused by | Under investigation |
| Casualties | |
| Death(s) | 35 |
| Injuries | 6 |
On 18 December 2024, 35 children died in a crowd crush during a Christmas funfair event in Ibadan, Nigeria. The incident occurred at the Bashorun district's Islamic High School, where thousands of children and family members had gathered for advertised cash handouts and food distributions. Six other children required hospitalization following the disaster.
A Christmas funfair event taking place on 18 December 2024 at the Bashorun district's Islamic High School was organized by local figure Olori Naomi Silekunola, the Women In Need Of Guidance and Support Foundation, and Agidigbo 88.7 FM.[1] The free event, which had been held in previous years, targeted children aged 0-13 years and advertised distributions of 5,000 naira (~US$3.20) to 5,000 children, free food, and event prizes which included scholarships. Offerings of financial assistance were noted to have drawn particular attention due to Nigeria's ongoing economic crisis, which had been characterized as the nation's worst in a generation.[1][2][3]
Tragedy
Attendees began arriving at the funfair as early as 5:00 AM, five hours before the scheduled start time. Reports indicated that over 5,000 children assembled at the venue. The fatal crush occurred when the event organizers arrived to commence proceedings, though the exact sequence of events remains under investigation.[2]
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde reported that security agents were deployed to the site in order to restore security following the stampede. Medical facilities across Ibadan received multiple victims of the crush. At one hospital, medical staff reported six admissions with only two survivors. Another facility confirmed three fatalities.[2]