35 children’s death: Oyo prepares 18 counts against ex-Ooni queen, Hamzat Oriyomi, principal

The Oyo State Government has filed 18 counts against Naomi Silekunola, former queen of the Ooni of Ife; CEO of Agidigbo FM, Hamzat Oriyomi; and Islamic High School principal, Fasasi Abdullahi, over a stampede at a Christmas funfair in Ibadan that claimed the lives of 35 children.

SaharaReporters reports that the government has filed 18 counts bordering of manslaughter and related offences against the trio.

“The court will most likely grant them bail on Monday; but the state government has filed 18 couns of manslaughter and similar offences against the Defendants,” the source said.

The suspects are currently in remanded for their involvement in the deadly stampede.

Following deliberations from both the prosecution and defence, Justice K.B. Olawoyin reserved his judgment on the bail applications, scheduling the ruling for Monday, January 13, 2025.

At the centre of this high-stakes case are three defendants: Naomi Ogunwusi, Oriyomi Hamzat, and Fasasi Abdullahi.

Earlier, the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ibadan in where the Chief Magistrate Olabisi Ogunkanmi presided had refused to take their pleas but directed that the case be transferred to the appropriate court hence the movement of the case to the state high court.

Last Tuesday, Adekunle Sobaloju (SAN), counsel for Mr Hamzat Oriyomi, argued that the Oyo State Government had no legal justification to detain his client and other defendants arrested over the deadly stampede.