The estranged wife of the Ooni of Ife, Naomi Silekunola, and the Principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan, Abdullahi Fasasi, have been denied bail.
Meanwhile, Oyo State’s Governor Seyi Makinde says the organisers of the children’s funfair, which led to the death of 35 children in the stampede of December 18, 2024, at the Islamic High School in Ibadan, must face trial.
The Governor made this known during the annual interfaith service to herald the year 2025, held at the car park of the Governor’s Office Secretariat.
They are being charged to court by the police for conspiracy, negligent actions causing harm, and a lack of adequate security and medical facilities at the event.
Some 35 children died in the stampede, while six others were critically injured.
The high court fixed Tuesday, January 13, 2025, to rule on the bail applications filed by Naomi Silekunola, ex-wife of Ooni of Ife, Oriyomi Hamzat, CEO Of Agidigbo FM, and Fasasi Abdullahi.
Abdullahi is Principal of Islamic High School, the site of the stampede incident in Ibadan.
The three are standing trial over their alleged roles in a stampede at a funfair in December, which claimed the lives of over 40 people, most of them children.
The defendants were remanded at Agodi correctional centre on December 24 after being charged with conspiracy, negligence causing harm, and failing to provide adequate security and medical facilities.
At the hearing on Tuesday, their legal representatives presented separate arguments for bail.
Silekunola was represented by Musibau Adetunmbi, while Hamzat and Abdullahi were represented by Adekunle Sobaloju.
The prosecution, led by Abiodun Aikomo, Oyo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, opposed the bail applications.
He asked the court to deny the defendants temporary release.
After hearing the submissions of both defendants and prosecutor, Kamarudeen Olawoyin, the presiding judge, reserved his ruling for January 13.
The organisers include the estranged wife of the Ooni of Ife, Prophetess Naomi Silekunola Ogunwusi; the owner of Agidigbo FM, Oriyomi Hamzat; and the Principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan, Fasasi Abdullahi Babatunde, are remanded at the Agodi Custodial Centre.
Makinde further stressed that he has been receiving calls from different people questioning why the organisers should not be allowed to go free.
He said: “35 innocent souls were lost; we won’t see such again in Oyo State by God’s grace.
“Quite a number of people reached out to me, saying that this happened in Anambra and FCT and nobody went to jail. Why is it that in Oyo State, some people will go to jail? Oyo is not Anambra, and no matter how highly placed, justice must be done.
“The judiciary is here, after all; it’s in their court. If they think they can grant bail pending the trial, I don’t have anything against it, but they must go on trial.
“Even if the entire country decides not to follow the rule of law, Oyo State will dare to be different.”
