₦airaland Forum

Oyo Govt Files 18-Count Charge Against Ooni’s Ex-Wife Naomi, Oriyomi Hamzat, School Principal Over Ibadan Stampede

January 12, 2025
NEWS

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

A government source privy to the case told SaharaReporters that the government has filed an 18-count charge of manslaughter and related offences against the trio.

“The court will most likely grant bail on Monday. The state government has however filed an 18-count charge of manslaughter and similar offences against the Defendants,” the source said.

The suspects are currently in detention over their involvement in the deadly stampede.

At the Oyo State High Court last Tuesday, January 7, the defence team passionately argued for the bail of the accused, citing their cooperation with investigations and lack of flight risk.

The defence lawyers contested the detention of their clients, asserting that it was unconstitutional due to procedural irregularities and uncertainties surrounding the court's jurisdiction.

BREAKING: Ibadan Stampede: Oyo Attorney General Leads Prosecution Team As Court Denies Ooni’s Ex-Wife Naomi, Islamic School Principal Bail
Jan 07, 2025

They further expressed concerns regarding the legitimacy of the "holding charge" employed to remand the trio, arguing that it lacked recognition under Nigeria's Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

However, the state government through its Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abiodun Aikomo, strongly opposed the request.

Aikomo insisted that the applicants had not provided sufficient grounds for their release. He dismissed claims of persecution by the state government, describing them as unfounded.

He, therefore, vehemently opposed the motion, stressing the gravity of the charges and the need for justice for the victims and their families.

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 filed four counts of conspiracy to commit felony leading to acceleration of death, culpable homicide, negligent acts causing harm, and failure to provide adequate security and medical facilities against the trio.

On Thursday, December 26, Chief Magistrate Olabisi Ogunkanmi did not 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.

Addressing journalists immediately after court proceedings, Sobaloju said his client, Oriyomi had convincingly pleaded before the court to grant his bail pending proper arraignment.

He said his team also argued strongly before the court that the government had no legal backing to detain his client and others arrested over the stampede.

He said: “Well, what we did was we filed an application that he should be admitted into bail pending arraignment, and the application was argued today. The court listened to all the various arguments, and the ruling was reserved till the 13th of January. So principally we are saying that he ought to be admitted on bail based on certain grounds which I would not want to expatiate on here.

“We are saying by law, they (the defendants) ought not to be arraigned by holding charge. That ordinarily, they should have followed the provision of the law, which is section 292 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), which says that they should not be detained or remanded in custody based on the holding charge.

“We have canvassed the points in court and it is for the court to deliver a considered ruling on it. It is for the court to decide (if their continued detention is legal or illegal). But for us, holding charge is unknown to the law.”

[color=orange]SaharaReporters[/color]

The suspects are currently in detention over their involvement in the deadly stampede.

This my Brother Oga Seyi Makinde should calm down , shey he want to convict a whole Queen ni. It is an unfortunate incident and highly regrettable. Must we beg Uncle Bola to send the AGF to stop the court case ...

Waste of court's time and public finance.
Filing 18 charges and hoping one of them will stick isn't a smart strategy when
all the cases are weak to begin with.

An average lawyer can get them off on all charges.

The worst Makinde can do is to prolong the trial as much as possible.

Initial gra-gra 😌

The parents that threw their children over the fence to enable them get freebies..what happens to them?
The weyrey that left house and used 2k transport to come to s venue to collect 5k..is that one a normal person?
This is a circus media trial and just simply demonstrates Govt inability to accept responsibility.
If the economy is fine..who in his right senses would wake up at 4am to go collect rice and 5k?
You bastardized the economy and pauperized the citizenry.. now that a group of people decided to make life better..and things went south .the next thing is to throw them under the bus?
This act will only make others shun such charitable gestures in the future..

Interesting... Let's see the end result

Seyi Makinde is just too harsh on this people, he might actually have a personal beef with Hazmat and finding a way to deal with him. He now loose my respect to him

This man should better calm down and stop being unnecessarily petty. He shouldn't abuse power.
Death is a natural phenomenon, the Queen and her co-organizers wouldn't have known that such tragedy was going to occur, if they knew, they wouldn't still go ahead with the event. Let God be the judge here.
The govt has killed a lot of Nigerians through same means, yet nobody ever sued them.
In 2014, the ex-minister of interiors, Comrade Abba Moro organized an aptitude test for applicants to be recruited into the Nigerian immigration service, while at the venue of the test, there was a huge Stampede, applicants lost their lives at the national stadium, and Heaven Did not fall. Abba Moro was never jailed or charged to court. It was even much worse cos the jobless applicants paid 1k each for application forms.
TB JOSHUA of blessed memory also suffered same fate right there in his church, SCOAN. This was a prophet that could tell u the color of the pant you're wearing, he could even see things in other people's countries but same man couldn't forsee the tragedy that befell people right under his nose. It's normal.
My heart goes out to the families of the victims who lost their lives, I pray for the souls of all the faithfuls departed through the mercies of God to rest on. 🙏

Tor..

The matter tie wrapper o

youngsahito:
Seyi Makinde is just too harsh on this people, he might actually have a personal beef with Hazmat and finding a way to deal with him. He now loose my respect to him

Look at people that want a better Nigeria

OK



Princess Faith Chukwu

This is just pure craziness

PulaPower:
Tor..

The matter tie wrapper o

Wrapper and gele

Haa

Na wao

Sahara reporters too repeat same line for countless times,how will I read ten line of your article every 30 seconds??

HenryWilliams:
.....This act will only make others shun such charitable gestures in the future..

💯

hmmmmmm

E clear say ONI won deal with this Aunty

OLAADEGBU:
The suspects are currently in detention over their involvement in the deadly stampede.

Instead of this media trial, they should be made to pay compensation to the victims family. The organizer get good intentions but it turned South.

Babangidapikin:
This my Brother Oga Seyi Makinde should calm down , shey he want to convict a whole Queen ni. It is an unfortunate incident and highly regrettable. Must we beg Uncle Bola to send the AGF to stop the court case ...

This is the exact kind of moronic mentality that has made Nigeria a wretched shithole. Subordination of the rule of law for nepotism (man knows man) and you wonder why things are upside down? The law should take it's course

I just hope governor Makinde no get personal bif with the defendants especially the ex queen.

youngsahito:
Seyi Makinde is just too harsh on this people, he might actually have a personal beef with Hazmat and finding a way to deal with him. He now loose my respect to him

Will your respect develop Nigeria or create an environment where lives are dignified? Else STFU, you ass licker

This man means business with these guys o, hope is not that, Oga using this opportunity to settle score with Oriyomi.

Oyo state should leave that case and face this one

More like killing an ant with a sledge hammer..

18 charges,state government should stop flexing muscle, looking critically they suppose to sue themselves for bringing poverty and lack of good environment for such activities.

Babangidapikin:
This my Brother Oga Seyi Makinde should calm down , shey he want to convict a whole Queen ni. It is an unfortunate incident and highly regrettable. Must we beg Uncle Bola to send the AGF to stop the court case ...

stfu. A whole queen is not above the law

May God not let our good turn us against the world.

The government are to blame first, why are people desperate for food.

They were just trying to help, they will just discourage people from helping.

[color=indigo]This case just de somehow

There's obviously no intention of the organizers to cause death or manslaughter as it is alleged. The state government should rather channel its energy towards compensation of the affected families by the event organizers and making laws that will prevent a recurrence of what happened.
The laws can mandate event organizers to make certain arrangements and involve stipulated government agencies before any public gatherings should take place.
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