Tragedy in Ibadan: Over 20 children feared dead in Christmas gift stampede

Over 20 children reportedly lost their lives during a stampede at a Christmas celebration event in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday.

The event, allegedly organized by a radio station owned by a prominent broadcaster, promised free gifts to attendees.

Eyewitnesses revealed that the stampede occurred due to overcrowding at the venue. Several children were rushed to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, where some were pronounced dead, while others are currently receiving treatment.

Online reactions expressed outrage and grief over the incident.

A social media user, @chemilly20, lamented:

“Many people have lost their children because of free gifts. UCH is full of dead bodies. God have mercy!” Similarly,

@BennyUmoren tweeted: “If you are in Ibadan, please don’t carry your children to Oriyomi (Agidigbo FM) for free gifts. They just brought 4 children into UCH now, and I just saw another one die.”

A source at UCH confirmed that some of the children were “Brought In Dead” (BID), but the hospital is yet to issue an official statement regarding the tragedy.

The incident, described as a “heartbreaking disaster” by @DSegaj, has sparked calls for better crowd management and safety measures during public events, especially those targeting vulnerable groups such as children.