Tragedy struck on Wednesday morning at the Islamic High School in Bashorun, Ibadan, during a children’s Christmas party organized by Agidigbo 88.7 FM and Queen Naomi Silekunola Ogunwusi, the ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife.
The event turned deadly as a stampede erupted, leading to the deaths of several children and leaving many others injured.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that chaos broke out when a large crowd surged forward to collect gifts and food, resulting in numerous children being trampled.
Emergency responders rushed the injured to the University College Hospital, Ibadan, while the exact number of casualties remains uncertain. Reports suggest at least seven children have lost their lives.
The event, branded as the “2024 Children Fun Fair,” had been heavily promoted by Agidigbo FM in the days leading up to it.
The party was intended to host 5,000 children aged 0-13, offering scholarships and gifts as part of an initiative by Queen Naomi’s WINGS Foundation. Assurances of adequate security had been made by the organizers, but the crowd quickly grew beyond control.
Witnesses described the scene as devastating. Social media platforms were flooded with reactions, with some users attributing the tragedy to overcrowding and inadequate crowd control.
A user wrote, “It was announced severally on the radio that they should stop coming, but people were still bent on attending.” Another noted that lifeless bodies were rushed to the University College Hospital.
Efforts to reach Agidigbo FM’s management for comment were unsuccessful, as calls to Oriyomi Hamzat, the station’s owner, went unanswered. The Oyo State Police Command also declined to comment on the incident.
