Ibadan stampede: Court grants ex-Queen Naomi, others N10m bail

The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, the state capital, has granted a former wife of Ooni of Ife, Naomi Silekunola, and two others prosecuted for murder and manslaughter N10 million bail each.

Others granted bail are Oriyomi Hamzat, a broadcaster and CEO of Agidigbo Radio FM in Ibadan; and Abdullahi Fasasi, the school principal of Islamic High School.

The three defendants are being prosecuted for the deaths of 35 children during a stampede at a Christmas funfair programme on December 18, 2024, at Islamic High School, Orita Basorun in Ibadan.

It would be recalled that the defendants were on December 24, 2024, arraigned before an Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court on four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, murder, manslaughter, and negligence.

The defendants were subsequently remanded at Agodi Correctional Centre.

The defence counsel later filed applications for their bail at the Oyo State High Court.

Ibadan stampede: Court sends Ooni’s ex-wife, principal, journalist to prison

Delivery ruling on the bail application on Monday, January 13, 2025, Justice Kamorudeen Olawoyin admitted the ex-queen and her co-defendants to bail in the sum of N10 million each with two reliable sureties.

Justice Olawoyin said the Magistrate Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case due to the murder charge contained in the charge sheet.

The judge said there was no place for holding charge in the constitution and keeping them in custody would amount to infringement of their rights.

He added that the incident of the stampede was not a premeditated act and so the defendants were entitled to bail.

The judge directed that the defendants must submit their international passports to the court and must not grant any press interview on print or on social media during the course of the trial.

The Star