Several students were rushed to the Edo State Specialist Hospital on Wednesday after suspected teargas triggered a stampede during the Children’s Day celebration at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.
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The incident reportedly caused panic among students and other participants at the event, which had attracted a large crowd of children from schools across the state.
Several of the affected students were treated and discharged, while two were still on admission as of the time of the report.
An eyewitness said the chaos began after some male students, said to be from Ihogbe College, allegedly made inappropriate advances towards some female students at the stadium.
According to the eyewitness, the conduct of the students attracted the attention of bouncers stationed at the venue, who rebuked them.
“The behaviour of those uncultured students attracted the attention of bouncers stationed at the stadium, as they rebuked the male students,” the eyewitness said.
The affected students were said to have later regrouped and attacked the bouncers, leading to a confrontation in the crowded arena. The bouncers reportedly deployed pepper spray, triggering panic and a stampede.
Reacting to the incident, the Edo State Government said it had launched an investigation into the circumstances that led to the chaos.
In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Dr Patrick Ebojele, the government said the stadium was filled to capacity with thousands of excited children who came to participate in the Children’s Day activities.
Ebojele said all entrances into the facility were opened to allow children access to the stadium, but some of them allegedly became unruly at one of the gates.
“The turnout was unprecedented. All the entrances into the facility were opened for children to access the stadium. Some excited children resorted to unruly behaviour at one of the gates, an incident that led to some kind of stampede which necessitated one of the bouncers to deploy the use of tear gas to disperse them,” the statement read.
The government said a few students sustained injuries during the pandemonium.
According to the statement, Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa, who was physically present at the stadium, immediately intervened by assisting injured children with first aid, while those who needed further medical attention were taken to the Edo Specialist Hospital.
“The Deputy Governor, Dennis Idahosa, who was physically present at the stadium, rose to the challenge immediately, assisting children with first aid; and those requiring further care were taken to the Edo Specialist Hospital where they received appropriate medical attention and are now safely back home with their families,” the statement added.
The government said the bouncer involved in the incident had been arrested and was being interrogated by the police to determine the immediate and remote causes of the incident.
It also urged social media users to avoid spreading unverified narratives capable of causing unnecessary panic.
“The Edo State Government has already authorised investigations into the incident while the bouncer involved is presently being interrogated by the Police to ascertain the immediate or remote cause of the incident.
“The government wishes to restate its commitment to the safety and security of all, including our children. We, however, call on social media users to refrain from unverified narratives that could cause unnecessary panic,” the statement said.
The government maintained that the incident, though regrettable, did not diminish Governor Okpebholo’s commitment to child safety and welfare.
It also thanked security personnel, medical staff and volunteers for their swift response, saying their intervention helped to reduce tension at the venue.
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