Chaos at Children’s Day Event as Students Collapse Amid Stampede in Edo Stadium

Panic erupted at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City on Wednesday after several students reportedly sustained injuries during the 2026 Children’s Day celebration following the use of pepper spray and teargas-like substances by security personnel.

The event, organised by the Edo State Ministry of Education, turned chaotic after operatives of a local security outfit, popularly known as bouncers, allegedly discharged pepper spray into a crowd of students, triggering a stampede inside the packed stadium.

Eyewitnesses said several students, especially female students, fainted after inhaling the substance, while others were injured during the commotion as people scrambled for safety.

A source at the venue disclosed that panic spread rapidly among students, teachers, and parents, forcing many to flee the arena in confusion. Some affected students were reportedly rushed to the Edo Specialist Hospital for treatment.

According to reports, the incident began after some male students of Ihogbe College allegedly harassed female students during the celebration, attracting the attention of the bouncers stationed at the venue.

A parent, Oboh Emmanuel, claimed that the situation escalated when the students confronted the bouncers, leading to a clash within the crowded stadium.

“In the confusion that followed, the bouncers sprayed pepper spray in an area filled with students,” he alleged.

Reacting to the incident, Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua dismissed reports suggesting a mass collapse of children, describing them as exaggerated.

Afegbua clarified that the substance was deployed by a bouncer and not official security operatives, contrary to some media reports. He added that the state Deputy Governor, Dennis Idahosa, intervened swiftly to prevent the situation from worsening.