A female survivor who went to the children Christmas party at the Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan, where more than 35 children died, has shared her experience.
In an interview with the PUNCH, Laide, a 30-year-old hairstylist and a mother of a three-year-old kid came very close to losing her precious baby at the sad event.
While recounting her experience, she said, “We got to the venue of the funfair a few minutes to 6am. Before we got to the venue, a large crowd had already gathered. The entrance to Islamic High School Basorun, the venue of the funfair, was already jam-packed with people numbering over 10,000. The crowd was quite thick to the extent that it was almost becoming difficult to breathe. I had my three-year-old child strapped to my back, and she was getting suffocated by the intense heat.
“After standing a long while in front of the entrance, Mr Oriyomi Hamzat, one of the organisers of the event, drove to the scene. Soon after, the gate was flung open and the mammoth crowd surged. Then a stampede ensued. That was the last I could remember.
“My baby fell off my hands to the ground while countless humans of different shapes and sizes trampled upon her. I couldn’t find her amidst the thick crowd but I heard her crying, though her voice was barely audible. While still on the ground and unable to move my body, I struggled under the weight of several people who had fallen on me and marching my head. I mustered every strength to push off those who were trying to squeeze the life out of my baby. And by divine luck, an adult that was also in the stampede, heard my baby crying, and determinedly pushed off other victims in the stampede who were struggling to free themselves from the stampede. That was what led to the mass deaths.”
Laide said she had no intention of going to the funfair until her neighbours persuaded her to go with them.
“They said Oriyomi Hamzat had rolled out jingles promising many enticing gifts for children ranging from scholarships, parcels of land, houses and several others. The crowd was made up of people from Ile-Ife, Osogbo, Ogbomoso and Lagos.”
When asked about the present status of her child, she said, “My child is receiving treatment at this hospital, Adeoyo State Specialist Hospital. But I regret going to that funfair. I will not try such a thing again.”
NewsBand reported that a stampede at a children’s Christmas party on December 18, 2024, resulted in the death of at least 35 children with many others critically injured in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.
Also on Saturday, December 21, 2024, another stampede occurred at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, Abuja, during the distribution of food items to the vulnerable and elderly individuals.
The incident led to the death of 10 individuals, leaving many others injured.
A similar incident was also recorded in Okija, Ihiala Local Government Area, Anambra State on Saturday, at a palliative distribution organized by a philanthropist identified as Obi Jackson, which led to the death of 22 people.
However, following these tragic developments, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, on Saturday, warned against unorganized distribution of palliatives, relief items as well as funfairs in the country during this festive period.
In a statement signed by the spokesman of the Force, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the IGP said the series of unfortunate incidents highlight the urgent need for a more structured and effective approach to delivering aid to vulnerable communities and members of the public in general.
The IGP called on government officials, community leaders, and non-governmental organizations to work collaboratively towards establishing a comprehensive and organized framework for distributing palliatives.