Tragedy struck in Ibadan on December 18 when the city was nearing its climax of festive funfair. In a devastating stampede at the Islamic High School, Basorun, 35 children lost their lives, and at least five others were injured, according to the Oyo State Government.

FIJ has learnt that the event, a Christmas funfair primarily organised for children, was hosted by Silekunola Moronke Naomi, the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, in collaboration with Oriyomi Hamzat, a popular on-air personality and the chairman of Agidigbo Radio Station in Oyo State. The programme was meant to spread holiday cheer, offering cash and small palliative items to children.

The tragedy set off a chain of events that led to the arrest and detention of Hamzat, the ex-queen, and Abdullahi Fasasi, the principal of the Islamic High School, where the disaster unfolded.

The trio has since been charged to court and ordered to remain in Agodi Correctional Centre until January 13, when they are scheduled to reappear in court. Their detention has caused protests by concerned groups and anguished cries for justice from their families and supporters.

To understand how such a joyous occasion turned into a nightmare, FIJ visited Oyo State to gather firsthand accounts from those who witnessed the chaos and its aftermath.

READ MORE: UPDATED: Ooni’s Ex-Wife Silekunola Naomi, Agidigbo FM CEO Remanded in Prison

WITNESS ACCOUNT: HOW AND WHY THE STAMPEDE HAPPENED

The events leading to the stampede at the school in Basorun, Ibadan, were chaotic, devastating and tragically preventable. Witness accounts shared with FIJ suggested poor planning and human error led to the horrific conclusion of events.

Among those who spoke were Iya Toheeb, an elderly pepper seller from the untarred street near the venue; Patience Olusayo Aremu, a food vendor whose daughter Azeezat attended the event despite her mother’s misgivings; and young Azeezat herself, who scaled the fence of the venue to gain entry.

From their accounts, two primary factors set the stampede in motion: the overwhelming crowd that swarmed the venue and the impatient behaviour of attendees.

“The place was already overcrowded on Tuesday evening, ahead of the programme scheduled for the next day. People had started arriving in buses and mini-vehicles of different sizes. They all seemed to find spots at the venue to sleep so they could be up early for the event the next day,” Iya Toheeb recounted.

By evening, the streets around the school were teeming with people, making it nearly impossible for residents and traders in the retail market-dominated Basorun area to use the road.

“By 6:00 pm that day, the area was already overpacked with people,” said Isiaka Olawale, a young apprentice working at a nearby car shop.

On the morning of the event, the crowd — already too large for a venue built to hold 5,000 people — continued to swell. Attempts to control entry at the gates did not make the situation better.

“We got there as early as 6:00 am that day, but there were already too many people outside and even inside the school. With the help of the lady we went with, both of us entered the building by scaling the fence,” Azeezat told FIJ.

“Of course, we had seen others do it too. Many people were scaling the fence, and parents were helping their children up. Some even ended up throwing their children by mistake.”

READ MORE: Stampede at Ibadan Children’s Christmas Party Hosted by Ooni’s Ex-Wife Claims Lives

Warnings about the overcrowding had been aired on Agidigbo FM the day before. Hamzat had advised listeners to stay away, insisting that the venue was already full. Witnesses, including Iya Toheeb, Aremu confirmed hearing these warnings.

According to witnesses, however, Hamzat’s arrival at the venue seemed to have set the stampede into motion.

“When Hamzat came and saw people outside, he asked if they had been there since the previous day, and they responded yes. Then, he told the security man to allow some of them in. They opened the gates, and everyone tried entering at once. That must have been when the shoving started,” Iya Toheeb explained.

Other witnesses, like Olawale and Aremu, remembered it slightly differently. While they didn’t hear Hamzat directly order the gates open, they noted that his arrival triggered a surge in the crowd.

“Many people were happy to see him and wanted to get close to him when he arrived. Before that, the gates had been closed to keep people out because it was already crowded. But when they opened the gates to let him in, people saw it as an opportunity to enter, and that’s when the chaos started,” Olusola shared.

Inside the venue, the situation deteriorated rapidly.

Here is how little Azeezat described the frantic scene.

“They told us to form lines, but it was useless from the start. When the gates opened, the lines became even rowdier. I suddenly noticed the crowd surging, and people were pushing to get in. I saw people fall. They trampled on an old woman near my aunty while some women tried to enter with children around my age and even younger,” she recalled.

THE STATE GOVERNMENT GRANTED PERMISSION

By December 22, Islamic High School Basorun was locked up, its gates firmly shut. Unlike the chaotic scenes reported in the first two days after the tragedy, signs of a cleanup effort were visible.

An elderly man, likely in his sixties, stood watch at the gate. He spoke sparingly and offered template responses when FIJ attempted an interview.

Islamic High School under lock and Key. December 23.

“Some reporters have been here earlier; they have taken pictures, so you may get from them. No one is allowed on the premises any longer, and the case is under police investigation,” he said curtly.

At Iya Toheeb’s, FIJ met a middle-aged woman in a pink hijab, who was a non-teaching staff member at the school. The staff’s account was not so different save her allusion to the state government’s responsibility in the tragedy.

She told FIJ that the organisers must have been granted permission to use the school in the first place. She spoke about the principal’s detention and showed exasperation that he was implicated in the court case.

“Islamic High is a big school,” she explained.

“The programme, I believe, was never done without approval from the state government through the secretariat. If you look inside well, you’ll see that it even has a hall.

“They use it for weddings, events and burials, and they all get approval before they use it. This is also not the first time Oriyomi himself will partner with someone for events like this. I think it’s the work of the devil. Islamic is still pretty big.”

READ ALSO: EYEWITNESS: How ‘Underground Dynamite’ Exploded in Ibadan and Government Understated Casualties

She described the events of that day with a mixture of disbelief and sorrow.

“Only God understands. It was a surprise for us too when we got to the shop. They had not started giving out anything before the incident started. They could not share anything. Even after the incident was declared a disaster, people were not willing to leave. Up until 6 pm that day, police officers, MOPOL and security agents were trying to clear the place,” she recounted.

Her revelation about the state government’s permission was later corroborated by a senior staff member of the school during a meeting with FIJ at the Agodi Correctional Centre on Friday.

The school’s principal, whom FIJ met in detention, offered little more than a hesitant nod of agreement when asked about the permission. His unease was apparent, made worse by the presence of correctional officers, including a senior figure from the facility.

“You don’t need to blow anything up again,” the principal said, his voice carrying a mix of resignation and defiance.

“I am not so sure of the media’s help in this case. I believe God will vindicate me and compensate everyone involved. I think the resolution is already on its way,” he added with an awkward smile, his tone loud enough for others to hear.

Attempts to verify details at the Ministry of Education, located in the Oyo State secretariat, proved unproductive. During two separate visits, FIJ was met with vague, offhand responses from security personnel and civil servants, who cited the holiday season as the reason no official matters could be addressed.

READ ALSO: INSIDER: Man Behind Ibadan Explosion Was Escorted by Police While Bringing Explosives Into His Home

PROTESTS, SYMPATHIES, DEMANDS

The stampede and subsequent prosecution have drawn a mix of responses, with individuals and groups pressing the government for different actions.

On December 22, FIJ found several people gathered at the Agidigbo radio station along the Agbowo-Ojoo Expressway in Ojoo. They were praying fervently for Hamzat’s release, his health and for the grieving parents of the deceased children.

People gathered at Agidigbo to offer prayers for Hamzat

Crowd control from a wiser Agidigbo FM was better. Two security officers managed the entry gate, one of whom — a light-skinned man with tribal marks — explained that only preselected individuals were allowed inside to join special prayers for the station’s chairperson.

By Tuesday, the agitation had shifted to the Iyangaku Magistrate Court, where a crowd, mostly women, gathered to protest and demand Hamzat’s release. Some protesters claimed the tragedy was nothing more than a well-intentioned plan gone wrong.

Despite their pleas, the court ruled to remand Hamzat, the ex-queen and the school principal at the Agodi Correctional Centre until January 13. However, the demonstrations persisted, especially in support of Hamzat.

The charge sheet

On Friday, protesters returned in full force, mobilising from key areas in Ibadan such as Oje and Beere. FIJ observed as many converged near the Agodi Correctional Centre where the crowd was relentless.

According to the NCoS officer coordinating visitations, it was one of his most gruelling days on the job due to the sheer number of people streaming in to see Hamzat.

Although some visitors had come for the ex-queen or the school principal, the OAP’s presence drew the largest crowd. As the legal battle unfolded, public appeals for the release of the remanded individuals gained momentum.

Funmilola Ogunseyi, the ex-queen’s mother, for instance, took to social media with tearful pleas for her daughter’s freedom.

The charges against Hamzat, the ex-queen and the principal include conspiracy to commit a felony, negligence, failure to provide adequate medical and security facilities, and actions that accelerated the children’s deaths — all violations of the criminal code. Their fates rest in the hands of the court, which will render its judgment on January 13.

WHAT HAPPENED AT HOSPITALS

FIJ visited the hospitals where victims of the stampede — at least the ones who survived — were rushed to. However, access to these facilities proved limited for undisclosed reasons.

On Tuesday, FIJ arrived at Adeoyo Hospital, a state-owned facility located at Ring Road, Ibadan. However, the security official stationed at the gate denied FIJ entry.

He claimed that the parents who had brought their children for treatment had already left, and no one connected to the incident was receiving care there.

READ ALSO: PHOTO STORY: A Walk Around Ibadan Explosion Scene

On Thursday, FIJ made its way to Best Western Hospital, a private clinic situated near the scene of the tragedy. At the gate, the security guard promptly denied access, offering a firm “No” when FIJ requested permission to speak with victims or hospital staff who might provide more information about the incident.

Meanwhile, Funmilayo Adetuyibi, the Public Relations Officer at the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that only five victims had been brought to the hospital.

“The five victims brought in yesterday were brought in dead,” she said.

“So, we are not talking about any admission because they were brought in dead.”
The post DETAILS: How Children’s Party Turned Into Deadly Nightmare in Ibadan appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.