Prophetess Naomi, former queen of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi didn’t envisage that her efforts to make Christmas a memorable one for thousands of children in Ibadan, would turn tragic with death of many children
The Oyo State Police Command says it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the alleged death of 32 children during a stampede at a funfair in Ibadan, the state capital, on Wednesday.
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.
The event was promoted by an Ibadan-based radio station, Agidigbo FM. It was aimed at benefitting 5,000 children with promises of N5,000 cash gifts and free meals.
Investigations showed that the victims were stampeded to death 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.
However, chaos ensued as over 15,000 people stormed the venue before dawn, far exceeding the planned capacity.
The incident occurred when parents, desperate to gain access for their children, caused a stampede at the entrance.
What Went Wrong?
Sources revealed that the situation spiraled out of control around 6 a.m. when the organizers announced that the 5,000-attendee limit had been reached. In response, the agitated crowd surged forward, leading to a deadly stampede that left many children dead on the spot and others injured.
Victims were rushed to nearby hospitals, including Patnas Specialist Hospital, Best Western Hospital, Molly Specialist Hospital, Ringroad State Hospital, and the University College Hospital (UCH), all in Ibadan.
At Patnas Specialist Hospital, four children were confirmed dead on arrival, while one survivor remained in critical condition as of Wednesday morning.
The chaotic scene also disrupted traffic along the Basorun axis, with thousands of attendees, mainly women and children, seen walking long distances. A distraught mother was spotted wailing after losing her 7-year-old son in the tragedy.
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 died while the other one is recuperating.
When reporters visited the venue, personal items such as shoes, slippers, bags, and clothing were scattered across the area, indicating the chaos. Police officers and patrol vans were stationed at various points, while the venue remained in disarray, with decorations strewn on the ground.
Despite the event being called off, small groups of women and children lingered around the school premises, refusing to speak to reporters for fear of arrest.
Mrs. Oluwafemi Akinyele, the Admin Officer of Patnas Specialist Hospital, confirmed the deaths, expressing sorrow over the tragedy. The incident has sparked widespread mourning and calls for better crowd management at such large-scale events.
She said: “If I’m not mistaken, they were brought in by few minutes past 8, they were brought in numbers of 5, 4 dead immediately, one was resuscitate back. He’s a male. Four females and a male.
“The male is still in the ward currently. I don’t really know his condition because I was a bit agitated but he’s fine. He’s eating. I fed him myself and he’ll be discharged any moment from now.
“Six were brought in here so far. Five were brought in at first but the Red Cross ambulance brought in 1 afterwards.
“Four were dead and 2 males. Out of the two that survived, one has been discharged already but the other one is responding to treatment.
“Some parents took their dead kids away. When they arrived, we were told the kids fainted but, after testing them, we discovered they were brought in dead.”
Additional reports: https://thenationonlineng.net/