Over 30 children were reportedly died in a Christmas Funfair in Ibadan, Oyo state capital on Wednesday morning, 18th December at Islamic High School Basorun, Ibadan.
The unfortunate incident occurred after a stampede in the venue resulting from chaotic and overcrowded arrangements by the organisers.
The Christmas party was jointly hosted by Queen Naomi Silekunola Ogunwusi, an ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife and Agidigbo FM owned by popular philantropist and a radio presenter, Oriyomi Hamzat.
CDHR gathered that multiple lives were lost and are mostly children who came to collect gifts and scholarships from the organisers turning parents moments of joy to sorrows and mourning.
The incident was also confirmed by the Oyo State government in a recent report by the state governor, Seyi Makinde.
According to him, he said earlier today, an incident occurred in Islamic High School Basorun, the venue of an event organised for families. Sadly, a stampede at the venue has led to multiple loss of lives and injuries.
This is a very sad day for us here in Oyo State. The governor sympathised with the parents whose joy had suddenly been turned to mourning due to these deaths. He said measures have been put in place to ensure no further deaths are recorded at this venue by deploying security agents to restore order at the venue as well as medical personnel and ambulances to the venue while he ordered the event be put on hold.
However, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has condemned the mass deaths of the promising children that occurred in the stampede.
The organisation attributed the unfortunate incident to lack of proper planning by the organisers.
The funfair that intended to accommodate 5,000 children should have been planned in such a manner devoiding chaotic and overcrowded arrangements. Measures should have also been put in place to avoid stampede.
CDHR also uses this medium to sympathise with families who lost their children to the stampede and the good people of Ibadan at large.
CDHR charges the state government and security agents to investigate the unfortunate incident, make the findings public, and punish anyone found wanting whose actions or inactions led to the stampede.
