A legal practitioner, Oluwatobi Fatoki, has urged authorities to prosecute parents who threw their children over a fence to collect palliatives during a recent funfair tragedy in Ibadan, which resulted in the deaths of 35 children. Fatoki emphasized that such parents are culpable in the death of their children and should be held accountable.
The incident, which occurred at Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan, has sparked widespread outrage and calls for greater accountability and safety measures at public events. According to eyewitnesses, parents threw their children over the fence in a desperate bid to collect palliatives, leading to a stampede that resulted in the tragic loss of life.
Fatoki, a former spokesperson of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ibadan Branch, condemned the act of throwing or aiding children over the fence to collect palliatives, describing it as “outrightly illegal and injurious.” He stressed that parents and guardians have a responsibility to protect their wards and that the government should ensure that things are done in the right way.
“The paramount interest of a child should be the major concern of any parent,” Fatoki said in an interview. “Such a parent should be held culpable for the death of any child who dies in the process. We have lost national ethics according to the constitution.”
Fatoki also called on governments at all levels to establish strict policies and protocols for organizers of mass gatherings, including the provision of adequate security, first aid, and medical emergency personnel. He emphasized the need for community orientation on how to behave during massive distribution or empowerment programs.
“Government should ensure that things are done in the right way,” Fatoki said. “We have regulatory bodies and protocols that should be followed. Issues of charity should be regulated in all ways to have a positive outcome.”
The legal practitioner’s comments come as the police investigate the circumstances surrounding the funfair stampede. The incident has raised questions about the safety and security measures in place at public events, particularly those involving large crowds and vulnerable populations such as children.
As the investigation continues, Fatoki’s call for accountability and prosecution of parents involved in the incident has sparked a heated debate about parental responsibility and the need for greater safety measures at public events.
