It was a dark Children’s Day celebration in Benin City, at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, as tension and anxiety took over the event.
According to reports, a crisis erupted during the Children’s Day festivities after several students collapsed following an altercation with security personnel at the venue.
The incident has raised concerns over crowd management and emergency preparedness at the state-organised gathering.
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An eyewitness account indicated that the trouble began following an alleged altercation involving students of Ihogbe Secondary School and some female pupils, which created tension among participants at the venue.
Sources further alleged that security operatives attached to the Edo State Government House deployed pepper spray while attempting to restore order, triggering panic as children, teachers, and other attendees scrambled for safety.
Reports suggest that more than 50 pupils were affected and subsequently evacuated to Edo Specialist Hospital and other nearby medical facilities for urgent treatment.
Parents and guardians besieged the hospitals in search of information about their children, while medical personnel attended to the affected pupils.
“We suddenly saw children running in different directions while some fainted due to the tension, heat, and overcrowding,” an eyewitness told journalists.
“There was panic everywhere as teachers and parents struggled to rescue the pupils.”
However, the Edo State Government, through its Press Secretary, Dr Patrick Ebojele, said the issue was not as aggravated as reported.
He attributed it to challenges in crowd control and to the overzealous approach of some bouncers at the gate.
“The issue has been taken care of, as nobody died as reported on social media. The said bouncers are currently with the police for proper investigation into what actually transpired.”
Similarly, the management of Edo Specialist Hospital clarified that none of the students died, as they were promptly attended to and stabilised.
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