Oriyomi Hamzat, a media personality, has commented on the unfortunate stampede that occurred at a funfair in Ibadan, attributing the chaos, injuries, and loss of life to the actions of some parents. He also defended Prophetess Naomi, the event’s organizer, while shedding light on the challenges involved in planning the program.
Hamzat shared that he visited the venue a day before the event to assess the preparations. He emphasized the importance of proper security measures and ticketing to manage the expected crowd. Anticipating that the turnout in Ibadan could be different from other cities where similar events had been held, he suggested printing 5,500 tickets to ensure better organization.
However, the situation spiraled out of control as early as 4 a.m. on the day of the event, even though the program was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. By 5:45 a.m., when Hamzat arrived, he found the roads blocked and parents attempting to gain entry by throwing their children over the fence. Tragically, one child lost his life after falling and hitting his head on the ground when his mother threw him over, assuming someone on the other side would catch him.
Hamzat condemned the parents’ behavior and questioned how Prophetess Naomi could be held accountable for the tragic outcome.
“The day before the funfair, I inspected the venue to confirm everything was in order,” Hamzat stated. “Prophetess Naomi assured me the space was sufficient. I asked about security arrangements, and she informed me that personnel would arrive by 8 a.m. I advised her that Ibadan might be different from other cities, so I proposed using tickets for better crowd management, which wasn’t part of her initial plan.”
Hamzat explained that 5,500 tickets were printed and that provisions were made for 7,000 chairs to accommodate both children and their parents. Despite these efforts, the situation on the day of the event was chaotic.
“When I arrived at 5:45 a.m., the roads were already blocked, and parents were throwing their children over the fence. They had been doing this since 4 a.m., even though the program was scheduled for later in the morning,” Hamzat said. “One mother admitted to throwing her son over the fence, assuming someone would catch him. Tragically, the child hit the ground and died instantly. Another parent brought 19 children to the event, far exceeding expectations.”
Hamzat concluded by emphasizing that the tragic incidents were caused by the reckless actions of the parents, not by any fault of Prophetess Naomi or the event’s organizers. He called for greater responsibility and order to prevent such occurrences in the future.
