The Oyo State Government mourns the tragic loss of lives at a children’s carnival in Ibadan.
In a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, a stampede occurred at the private children’s fun fair held at Basorun Islamic High School, leading to loss of lives, mostly children, with some others injured in the early hours of today.
The statement revealed that the State Government promptly deployed a rapid response team after the incident occurred.
The Commissioner confirmed that the victims were quickly taken to various hospitals across Ibadan for medical care.
Prince Oyelade, in the statement, expressed gratitude to the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, for promptly mobilizing all available response teams to assist at the scene. He also assured that the State Government would provide unwavering support to the victims during this challenging time.
The statement clarified that the Oyo State Government had no involvement in the planning of the private children’s end-of-year funfair, nor was the Ministry of Health approached to provide logistical support for the event.
It highlighted the critical need for proper coordination when organizing events of such magnitude, particularly those involving vulnerable groups like children and elders.
The Commissioner stated that a detailed report is being awaited from the Commissioner of Police to ascertain the total number of victims affected by this tragic incident.
Parents concerned about the whereabouts of their children are advised to visit the following medical facilities in Ibadan, where the affected children have been taken for medical attention, with valid means of identification:
Patnas Hospital, Basorun
Western Hospital, Basorun
Ringroad State Hospital
Molly Specialist Hospital
University College Hospital (UCH)
The government expressed its deepest sympathies to the families impacted by the tragedy and urged the public to remain calm and cooperative as further information is gathered and necessary support is provided to the victims.