Ibadan Christmas Funfair Stampede — Incident Report
Children’s Event · Crowd Crush · Nigeria

Ibadan ChristmasFunfair Stampede

A structured incident summary covering the fatal crowd crush at a children’s Christmas funfair at Islamic High School in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, including source conflicts, organiser naming, casualty figures and unresolved details.

Date18 Dec 2024
LocationIbadan, Nigeria
Fatalities35 minors
Injuries6 serious
Read Report →View Sources
Scroll

Incident Overview

What happened

On 18 December 2024, a fatal crowd crush occurred during a children’s Christmas funfair at Islamic High School in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

The event had been publicised with free entry, cash gifts, food and scholarships. Multiple sources report that around 5,000 children were expected or that more than 5,000 people gathered.

Later police-confirmed reporting widely stated that 35 children or minors died and six children were seriously injured or hospitalised.

The incident is commonly reported as the Ibadan Christmas funfair stampede or Ibadan funfair crowd crush. The user label in the source notes was “Nigeria - Charity”.

Location and Naming

Islamic High School

Venue: Islamic High School.

Area wording: Basorun, Bashorun and Orita Bashorun are all used by sources. They appear to refer to the same school venue area in Ibadan.

City, state, country: Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Organiser wording: Sources refer to Women In Need Of Guidance and Support Foundation, WING/WINGS Foundation and, in some reporting, Agidigbo FM as co-organiser or media partner.

View disputed details →

Reported Tolls

Casualty figures

The later, widely reported police-confirmed figure was 35 children or minors killed and six seriously injured. Earlier same-day reports used less precise wording before confirmation.

35
Children / minors killed
6
Seriously injured / hospitalised
5000+
Expected or gathered
8
People reported arrested

Chronology

Incident timeline

Before 18 December 2024
The children’s Christmas funfair was publicised with free entry, food, cash gifts and scholarships.
18 December 2024
A very large crowd gathered at Islamic High School in the Basorun / Bashorun area of Ibadan.
Crowd crush
A crush occurred during the children’s event. Early reports described several children killed and multiple injuries.
Official response
Governor Seyi Makinde stated that lives had been lost, injuries had occurred and those involved would be held accountable.
19–20 December 2024
Later reporting cited police confirmation of 35 minors killed and six critically or seriously injured.
Follow-up action
Reports described arrests, investigations, federal warnings about crowd control, and later criminal charges linked to the event.

Outcomes / Details

Key operational features

🎁
High-demand offer
Free entry, cash gifts, food and scholarships created a strong draw for families and children.
👧
Child-heavy crowd
The event focused on children and minors, increasing the welfare and safeguarding risk.
🏫
School venue
The incident occurred at Islamic High School in Ibadan, with source wording varying across Basorun, Bashorun and Orita Bashorun.
⚖️
Legal follow-up
Later reporting described arrests, court action and criminal charges after the incident.
⚠️ Evidence handling noteThe casualty figures are clearer than many similar incidents, but exact timing, exact attendance and an initial police press release URL remain unverified in the source notes.

Incident Factors

Crowd risk indicators

Free
Entry advertised
Cash
Gifts publicised
Food
Distribution draw
Kids
Primary audience

Disputed Details

Conflicting information

The main conflicts are timing differences in fatality reporting, location wording and organiser naming.

Disputed Detail
Fatality count in early versus later reporting

Early breaking reports did not yet carry the later police-confirmed figure.

AP early report

Reported that “several children” had died, without the final confirmed number.

Reuters / Channels / Premium Times

Later reporting stated that 35 children or minors died.

This appears to be a timing difference between breaking reports and later police-confirmed totals.

Disputed Detail
Location wording

Sources use different spellings or area descriptions for the same school venue.

Source wording A

Basorun / Islamic High School in Basorun.

Source wording B

Bashorun / Orita Bashorun.

These appear to be spelling or area-description variants for the same venue area in Ibadan.

Disputed Detail
Organiser naming

Sources name the organisers in slightly different ways.

AP / local media wording

Women In Need Of Guidance and Support Foundation.

Guardian and other reports

Wings Foundation and Agidigbo FM radio.

“WINGS” appears to refer to Women In Need Of Guidance and Support Foundation. Some sources also name Agidigbo FM as co-organiser or media partner.

Not Verified

Unresolved details

The following points were not verified as single, source-agreed facts in the uploaded notes.

Street address
Exact street address of the school venue.
Timing
Exact time the crush began.
Attendance
Exact number present beyond wording such as “up to 5,000” or “over 5,000”.
Police source
Direct official police press release URL from the Oyo State Police Command website for the initial casualty confirmation.
Academic source
A clearly incident-specific academic paper.

Source Material

References

News, website, official and open-source items listed in the incident document.

01
Associated Press · News Articles
Several children killed in stampede at a holiday fair event in Nigeria, state governor says
18 December 2024
Early report stating that several children died during a stampede at a holiday funfair at Islamic High School in Basorun, Oyo State. It says the event was linked to the Women in Need of Guidance and Support Foundation, that up to 5,000 young people were expected, and that Governor Seyi Makinde said organisers were arrested and an investigation opened.
Visit Source →
02
Reuters · News Articles
At least 35 children killed in southern Nigeria stampede, AFP reports
19 December 2024
Reuters, citing AFP/police, reported that at least 35 children were killed and six injured in a stampede in southern Nigeria.
Visit Source →
03
The Guardian · News Articles
At least 35 children killed in crowd crush at school fair in Nigeria
19 December 2024
Reports that 35 children were killed and six seriously injured at Basorun Islamic High School in Ibadan; says the event expected around 5,000 young people and had advertised scholarships and gifts.
Visit Source →
04
Al Jazeera · News Articles
Dozens killed in stampede at youth festival in Nigeria
19 December 2024
Reports multiple deaths at the Ibadan event and says local media identified the organisers as the Women In Need Of Guidance and Support Foundation.
Visit Source →
05
Africanews / agencies · News Articles
Deadly crush at Christmas funfair in Nigeria leaves 35 children dead
19 December 2024
Reports that 35 children died and six were hospitalised after a crowd gathered for promised cash handouts and food; says over 5,000 children attended and eight people were arrested.
Visit Source →
06
Ignatius Igwe / Channels Television · News Articles
35 Minors Confirmed Dead In Ibadan Stampede, Ooni’s Ex-Wife Arrested
19 December 2024
States that 35 minors were confirmed dead and that Naomi Silekunola, the school principal, and six others were arrested in connection with the incident.
Visit Source →
07
Channels Television · News Articles
Tinubu Mourns Ibadan Stampede Victims, Orders Probe
19 December 2024
Reports that 35 minors had been confirmed dead at a funfair at Islamic High School, Orita Bashorun, and that President Tinubu called for a probe.
Visit Source →
08
Donatus Anichukwueze / Channels Television · News Articles
Investigations On Ibadan Funfair Stampede In Progress — Police
20 December 2024
Says police confirmed 35 minors dead and six critically injured at the funfair held at Islamic High School, Orita Bashorun, Ibadan, and that investigations were ongoing.
Visit Source →
09
Premium Times · News Articles
Ibadan Funfair Tragedy: Police confirm 35 deaths, Tinubu orders investigation
19 December 2024
Reports police confirmation of 35 deaths after the Basorun Islamic High School event and notes the presidential order for investigation.
Visit Source →
10
Adenike Kaffi / Daily Trust · News Articles
Many children feared killed in Ibadan funfair stampede
18 December 2024
Early report stating many children were feared killed at a private funfair at Basorun Islamic High School in Ibadan.
Visit Source →
11
Nigeria Info · News Articles
35 Children Confirmed Dead in Ibadan Funfair Stampede
20 December 2024
Reports that the WINGS Foundation event at Islamic High School ended in 35 deaths and that eight people, including Naomi Silekunola and the school principal, were arrested.
Visit Source →
12
Shweta Sharma / The Independent · News Articles
Stampede at Christmas fair in Nigeria kills at least 35 children
20 December 2024
Reports at least 35 deaths and six severe injuries at the Ibadan Christmas funfair, with organisers having promised cash and food.
Visit Source →
13
Not verified · Magazine Articles
Not verified
Not verified
I did not find a clearly incident-matching magazine article that added primary factual detail beyond news and official reporting.
Not verified / source sweep note
14
Samuel Anyanwu / Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation · Website Articles
FG Condoles with Families of Stampede Victims, Issues Advisory on Public Events During the Yuletide
22 December 2024
Federal government statement condoling families affected by the stampedes in Ibadan, Abuja, and Okija, and urging organisers of similar events to coordinate with police and NEMA for crowd control.
Visit Source →
15
Premium Times · Website Articles
IGP warns against unauthorised distribution of palliatives, funfair
21 December 2024
Follow-up report referring to the 18 December Ibadan funfair where 35 minors died and six others were critically injured, in the context of a police advisory on crowd control.
Visit Source →
16
Tribune Online · Website Articles
Six things to know about Ibadan funfair stampede
20 December 2024
Follow-up explainer identifying the date, venue, Bashorun area location, and WING/WINGS as organisers intending to attract around 5,000 children under 13.
Visit Source →
17
Premium Times · Website Articles
Ibadan Stampede: Oyo govt files 18-count criminal charges against Ooni’s ex-wife, Oriyomi Hazmat, others
13 January 2025
Follow-up legal report stating that the tragedy occurred on 18 December 2024 at Islamic High School in Bashorun, Ibadan, during a funfair carnival event.
Visit Source →
18
Premium Times · Website Articles
Ibadan Stampede: Court sends Oriyomi Hamzat, Queen Naomi Silekunola to prison
24 December 2024
Follow-up court report stating police said 35 minors were killed and six others injured during the children’s Christmas party stampede.
Visit Source →
19
Not verified · Academic Papers
Not verified
Not verified
I did not find an academic paper clearly and specifically about this 18 December 2024 Ibadan incident in the sources retrieved.
Not verified / source sweep note

A few things on the site

Have a look at what we have on the site. All the content is to assist and improve crowd safety at events and crowded placed.

Crowd Disasters
Crowd near miss incidents
Content upload
© 2026 Working With Crowds. Created for free using WordPress and Colibri

Translate »