Panic at Edo Children’s Day Event as dozens of pupils reportedly collapse

Panic erupted during the Edo State Children’s Day celebration on Wednesday after several pupils reportedly collapsed amid confusion at the event venue, raising concerns over crowd management and emergency preparedness at the state-organised gathering.

Eyewitness accounts indicated that the incident began following an alleged altercation involving some students of Ikhogbe Secondary School and female pupils, which created tension among participants at the venue.

Sources further alleged that security operatives attached to the Government House deployed pepper spray while attempting to restore order, triggering panic as children, teachers, and other attendees scrambled for safety.

Although official figures were yet to be released as of press time, unconfirmed reports suggested that more than 50 pupils were affected and subsequently evacuated to the 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 were said to be attending to 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.”

As of the time of filing this report, the Edo State Government had not issued an official statement confirming the exact number of affected pupils or the precise circumstances surrounding the incident.