General News

Ibadan Stampede: People Were Throwing Children Over the Fence, Not Queen Naomi’s Fault – Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat

Overcrowding Caused Ibadan Stampede

Emmanuel Eze

December 23, 2024

Alhaja Oriyomi Hamzat, Chairman of Agidigbo 88.7 FM, has stated that the recent stampede at a Christmas funfair in Ibadan, which claimed the lives of 35 children, was not entirely the fault of Queen Naomi Ogunwusi, the event’s organizer.

Background

On December 18, 2024, a tragic stampede occurred during a Christmas funfair at Islamic High School in the Bashorun district of Ibadan, Nigeria. The event, which aimed to distribute ₦5,000, free food, and scholarships to 5,000 children, turned fatal when an unexpected crowd of over 7,000 people overwhelmed the venue. This led to chaos, resulting in 35 deaths and six injuries.

The event was organized by Olori Naomi Silekunola, the Women in Need of Guidance and Support Foundation, and Agidigbo 88.7 FM. In connection with the tragedy, eight individuals, including Olori Naomi Silekunola, have been arrested, with investigations ongoing.

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Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat Statement

In a statement attributed to Oriyomi Hamzat by Rich Adéyínká Arífálò in a Facebook post, the Agidigbo FM chairman who was hospitalized due to injuries sustained in the stampede was quoted to have said:

‘A day before the funfair, I went to inspect the venue to ensure that all the necessary things were in place. Prophetess Naomi was there and she said the place was more spacious than the place they wanted to use.

“I asked about the security arrangement and she said the security will be there by 8 am. I told her and the team that Ibadan is different from the other places they have been using so I promised to give her 200 boys that will be giving out tickets to the children. She didn’t plan to use tickets initially.

“I arranged how 5,500 tickets would be printed. The following day, I got to the venue at about 5:45am. I saw a lot of crowd. All roads were blocked. Mothers have started throwing their kids over the fence.

“Even though we were expecting 5000 kids, Naomi rented 7000 chairs because I told her to make provision for mothers that would bring their kids.

“A woman said she threw her son over the fence thinking that someone would catch him but the child hit his head on the ground and died on the spot.

“One woman gathered her neighbours’ kids and brought 19 children to the venue. HOW WAS IT NAOMI’S FAULT that parents were throwing their kids?”.

Ongoing Investigations

Authorities are continuing their investigations into the stampede to identify the causes and any lapses in planning or execution.

Since the Ibadan tragedy, similar incidents have occurred at charity events in Okija, Anambra State, and Maitama, Abuja, underscoring the need for improved crowd management at large gatherings.