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The Oyo State Police Command says no fewer than 35 bodies of minors, who were killed in the Ibadan stampede have been recovered.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the state, SP Osifeso Adewale, who confirmed this in a statement on Thursday, said about six minors who sustained severe injuries during the incident, are in critical condition.
Read Also: Ibadan Carnival: Scores Of Children Caught In Fatal Stampede
“So far (35) thirty-five minors have been documented dead while (6) six others are critically injured and on various medical interventions,” he said.
The Eastern Updates recalls that a funfair organized by the former Queen of the Ooni of Ife, Prophetess Naomi Shikemi at the Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan, had resulted in stampede, leading to the tragic incident.
The Oyo State Police Command said that eight persons involved in sponsoring the event had since been arrested.
The Police spokesman said those arrested include the main event sponsor, Prophetess Naomi Silekunola, Fasasi Abdulahi, School Principal Islamic High School, Ibadan, Genesis Christopher, Tanimowo Moruf, Anisolaja Olabode, Idowu Ibrahim and Abiola Oluwatimilehin.
It had been reported that Tragedy struck in Ibadan as reports emerged of several children losing their lives in a stampede during a carnival that had drawn a large crowd.
Speculation is rife that the event was organized by a former wife of the Ooni of Ife, adding a layer of controversy to the devastating incident.
While the exact number of casualties remained unclear as of press time, a source revealed to reporters that nearly 20 children may have lost their lives in the tragic incident.
Organized at the Islamic High School in Bashorun, Ibadan, the carnival had gone off without a hitch, but chaos erupted at the point where gifts were being shared among the attendees.A heartbreaking clip circulating on X showed a child being carried away from the heaving crowd, which had swarmed the area in an attempt to see the events as they unfolded.
The venue, which had a capacity for just 500 children, was swamped with over 3,000 attendees during the gift distribution, causing a dangerous commotion. Witnesses reported that children who stumbled in the chaos were unable to get back on their feet, leading to the tragic stampede. Reacting to the incident, the Oyo State Government released a statement mourning the heartbreaking fatalities.
