Chaos erupted at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City on Wednesday during Children's Day festivities. Security personnel deployed pepper spray, leaving numerous students injured and hospitalized.
The Edo State Ministry of Education had organized the event for the state's schoolchildren. Witnesses say a stampede broke out after bouncers sprayed pepper gas into the crowd.
Many female students collapsed after inhaling the substance, according to eyewitnesses present. Others suffered injuries when they were trampled during the rush to escape.
Panic swept through the stadium as students, teachers, and parents fled for safety. Emergency responders transported the affected students to Edo Specialist Hospital for treatment.
A source at the scene explained what sparked the incident. Male students from Ihogbe College allegedly made unwanted advances toward female attendees at the venue.
Parent Oboh Emmanuel described how things escalated quickly. "Some students behaved badly and drew the bouncers' attention," he told reporters at the scene.
The situation worsened when those students regrouped and clashed with the security personnel. In the ensuing chaos, bouncers sprayed pepper gas across a densely packed section of students.
Edo State Commissioner for Information Prince Kassim Afegbua addressed the incident later that day. He dismissed reports of mass student collapses as exaggerated accounts.
Afegbua clarified that a single bouncer used the pepper spray, not multiple security agents. Various media outlets had reported otherwise, he noted.
According to him, Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa intervened swiftly to prevent tragedy. His quick action helped restore order at the stadium.
It remains unclear how many students received treatment or suffered lasting effects. The state has not released an official casualty count from the incident.
