By Ighomuaye Lucky. O
The Oyo State Government has filed an 18-count charge, including manslaughter, against Naomi Silekunola, the former wife of the Ooni of Ife; Oriyomi Hamzat, the CEO of Agidigbo FM; and Fasasi Abdullahi, the principal of Islamic High School over the tragic stampede at a Christmas funfair in Ibadan that led to the deaths of 35 children.
The suspects are currently in detention, with the state alleging their failure to ensure adequate security and medical provisions at the event.
At the Oyo State High Court on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, the defence team appealed for bail, arguing their clients posed no flight risk and had cooperated fully with the investigation.
Counsel for the defendants argued that their detention was unconstitutional, citing procedural flaws and the illegitimacy of the “holding charge” used to remand them.
Adekunle Sobaloju, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), representing Oriyomi Hamzat, stated that the holding charge is not recognised under Nigeria’s Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
He appealed to the court to grant bail, emphasising that detaining the accused without proper arraignment violated their rights.
“We filed an application for bail, and the court has reserved its ruling for January 13. The continued detention of the defendants on a holding charge is legally unfounded,” Sobaloju told journalists after the court session.
The state’s Attorney General, Abiodun Aikomo, opposed the bail applications, emphasising the seriousness of the charges and the need for justice for the victims.
He dismissed allegations of persecution as baseless and insisted that the defence had not provided compelling reasons for their release.
Initially, the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ibadan filed charges of conspiracy, culpable homicide, negligence, and failure to ensure safety against the trio.
However, the matter was later transferred to the state high court for proper jurisdiction.
Chief Magistrate Olabisi Ogunkanmi, who presided over the earlier proceedings, declined to take the defendants’ pleas, directing that the case be escalated to the appropriate court.
Justice K.B. Olawoyin has reserved judgment on the bail applications, which will be delivered on Monday, January 13, 2025.
