Multiple people, mostly children, feared dead in stampede at carnival in southwestern Nigeria

​​​​​​​By Kabir Adeniyi

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - A stampede at a children's carnival has killed an unknown number of victims in the state of Oyo in southwest Nigeria, officials said Wednesday.

The exact number of victims killed at the Bashorun Islamic High School in the state capital of Ibadan is yet to be confirmed but authorities said most were children.

Multiple sources told Anadolu that at least 20 people were killed, with many injured when attendees rushed to get food and gifts distributed by organizers but there was inadequate security to control the crowd.

Oyo State Commissioner for Orientation, Dotun Oyelisa, told journalists that many of the victims have been admitted to various hospitals in the area.

He added that the carnival was private and the state government was not involved in the planning of the end-of-year funfair.

Gov. Seyi Makinde said he put measures in place to prevent additional deaths through the deployment of security agents to restore order.

“While investigations are ongoing, the primary organisers of the event that led to this stampede have been taken into custody. I want to reassure our people that anyone directly or remotely involved in this disaster will be held accountable,” he wrote on X.