- Oriyomi Hamzat has reacted to the tragic stampede at a funfair in Ibadan, blaming the parents for the chaos that resulted in casualties.
- Hamzat defended Prophetess Naomi, the event’s organizer, in a detailed account of the incident, highlighting the challenges faced during the program’s preparation and execution.
- Hamzat visited the venue to inspect arrangements, emphasized security and ticketing, insisting on printing 5,500 tickets to manage the crowd, considering Ibadan’s audience may differ from other locations.
Media figure Oriyomi Hamzat has addressed the unfortunate stampede that took place at a funfair in Ibadan, attributing responsibility to the parents for the disorder that resulted in injuries and fatalities.
In a comprehensive account of the event, Hamzat defended Prophetess Naomi, the organizer, and underscored the difficulties faced during the planning and execution stages of the event.
Hamzat disclosed that he had visited the venue the day prior to the event to assess the arrangements, stressing the importance of adequate security and ticketing measures. He noted that he had advocated for the printing of 5,500 tickets to effectively manage the anticipated crowd, recognizing that the audience in Ibadan might behave differently compared to other locations where the event had previously taken place.
However, chaos ensued as early as 4 a.m. on the day of the event, with parents arriving at the venue despite the program being set for 10 a.m.
By 5:45 a.m., Hamzat arrived to find the roads obstructed and mothers attempting to throw their children over the fence in a desperate effort to gain entry. Tragically, one child reportedly lost his life after falling and striking his head on the ground when his mother threw him over the fence, mistakenly believing someone would catch him.
Hamzat condemned the actions of the parents, questioning how Prophetess Naomi could be held accountable for such irresponsible behavior.
Oriyomi Hamzat addresses the tragedy of the Ibadan stampede.
“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 8am. 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 5500 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.
“The program was scheduled to start at 10am and security men were expected at 8am. I started begging that everybody should go back home. They refused to listen to me.
“Over 2000 mothers threw their kids over the fence as at 5:45am. I was told they have been throwing their kids since 4am. 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.
“Stampede started happening at 7am. A woman said she threw her son over the fence thinking that someone would catch him but the child h!t his head on the ground and d!ed on the spot. One woman gathered her neighbor’s kids and brought 19 children to the venue. HOW WAS IT NAOMI’S FAULT that parents were throwing their kids?”
