The Oyo State Police Command says it’s investigating the circumstances surrounding the alleged dying of 32 youngsters throughout a stampede at a funfair in Ibadan, the state capital, on Wednesday.
PUNCH Metro gathered from a number of eyewitness accounts that the stampede occurred when contributors rushed to realize entry to the venue of the occasion reportedly organised by the ex-queen of the Ooni of Ife, Prophetess Naomi Shikemi, and an Ibadan-based broadcaster, Oriyomi Hamzat.
Investigations by PUNCH Metro additionally confirmed that the victims have been stampeded to dying whereas making an attempt to interrupt by way of the primary gate of the varsity.
It was additional gathered that provision was made for five,000 youngsters however the quantity that turned up for the occasion was reportedly over 7, 500.
Narrating the state of affairs in a video, an eyewitness on the scene of the incident, who didn’t point out her title, famous that the organisers had invited 5,000 contributors for the funfair however the state of affairs received uncontrolled when the scene grew to become rowdy resulting in a stampede that led to a number of casualties.
She stated, “Oriyomi Hamzat stated he wished 5,000 contributors however as a result of we weren’t organised, that was why the state of affairs received to this. We weren’t even as much as 5,000 contributors.”
One other participant claimed he misplaced a baby throughout the incident.
“Fairly than attend to us very properly, they wished to struggle us. We simply misplaced one baby who has been taken to the College Faculty Hospital,” he stated.
The video confirmed rowdy scenes as some youngsters have been rushed out of the venue whereas a girl wailed concerning the lack of her baby following the stampede.
Reacting to the incident, the administration of Agidigbo FM, owned by Oriyomi Hamzat, sympathised with the victims in a press release signed by its Director of Programmes, Olayinka Abdulwahab.
Abdulwahab, nevertheless, burdened that the radio station was a media accomplice to the occasion and never the organiser of the funfair.
He burdened that the administration made frantic strikes to sensitise the contributors when it realised that the venue was crowded.
Abdulwahab acknowledged, “That is to tell most people that the administration of Agidigbo FM, Ibadan acquired the information of the tragedy that heralded the kids’s funfair at Islamic Excessive Faculty, Bashorun, Ibadan, organised by the WINGS Basis, with nice shock and wholeheartedly commiserate with the households concerned.
“Amidst the tragedy, the information making the rounds is that Agidigbo FM is the organiser of the kids’s funfair. Nonetheless, the administration needs to state that Agidigbo FM is just not the organiser of the occasion however one of many media outfits used to advertise the occasion.
“Upon receiving the discover {that a} mammoth crowd had assembled earlier than 5am on the venue, Agidigbo FM, the individuals’s voice, used all media methods to sensitise the populace with jingles and public service bulletins from that point, that individuals ought to cease going to the venue of the funfair.
“This isn’t the time to unfold misinformation. The administration of Agidigbo FM implores most people to proceed to wish for the speedy restoration of these in numerous hospitals and sympathises with the household of those that misplaced their lives.”
When contacted through a textual content message for a response, the spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, Adewale Osifeso, confirmed the incident, noting that an investigation had commenced.
“Investigation is in progress. Updates shall be supplied accordingly, please,” Osifeso stated.
A number of sources advised our correspondents that a few of the youngsters, together with their mother and father, have been stated to have stored vigil on the venue of the occasion.
Considered one of our correspondents noticed that an uncontrollable crowd induced gridlock on the Basorun-Idi Ape Street.
An Administrative Officer of Patnas Hospital, Basorun, the place a few of the victims have been admitted, Olufeyemi Tolulope, stated, “The affected youngsters have been introduced in some minutes previous 8am. Six youngsters have been introduced into the hospital out of which 5 died whereas the opposite one is recuperating.
“We have been advised that the deceased fainted on the venue of the occasion. We have been capable of rescue one whereas the remaining 5 died. The surviving baby has been discharged and launched to her mother and father.
“One of many mother and father of the deceased, who was sighted on the hospital premises wailing, stated, “I didn’t discount for what occurred to me. We slept collectively at house yesterday (Tuesday) not realizing that it will be the final time. My daughter is just not useless. Please physician wake her up.”
Different mother and father, who didn’t need their names in print, referred to as on the federal government to prevail on the administration of the assorted hospitals for the discharge of the corpses of their youngsters.
The victims, based on a press release by the state’s Commissioner for Info and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, have been admitted on the following hospitals: Patnas Hospital, Basorun; Western Hospital, Basorun; Ring Street State Hospital; Molly Specialist Hospital and College Faculty Hospital.
Considered one of our correspondents was turned again at Molly Hospital, Idi-Ape and Western Hospital, Basorun by the safety guards, who insisted that no sufferer was on admission on the two hospitals.
Nonetheless, a few of the mother and father have been sighted at UCH lamenting the dying of their youngsters.
Whereas on the UCH, the hospital’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmi Adetuyibi, advised PUNCH Metro that 5 of the victims of the incident, have been introduced in useless.
She, nevertheless, didn’t affirm the intercourse or age bracket of the victims, including that not one of the victims of the incident was on admission on the facility as of the time of submitting this report.
Additionally at Molly Hospital, an eyewitness, who didn’t need his title talked about, advised our correspondent that some unspecified victims dropped at the hospital by rescue employees have been introduced in useless.
A employees member of the hospital, who spoke with PUNCH Metro on situation of anonymity, stated not one of the victims of the tragedy was on admission as of the time considered one of our correspondents visited the power at previous 7pm on Wednesday.
Efforts to get the Ooni’s ex-wife, Naomi, the organiser of the occasion that led to the stampede, proved abortive as her cellphone quantity was not obtainable. A textual content message despatched to her was not responded to too as of the time of submitting this report.