A High Court in Ibadan has granted bail to Queen Naomi Silekunola, ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife, and two others charged after a stampede at a Christmas funfair that killed at least 32 children. The court set bail at ₦10 million each, with two sureties.
The other defendants are Oriyomi Hamzat, CEO of Agidigbo FM, and Abdullahi Fasasi, principal of Islamic High School, Basorun, where the tragedy occurred on December 18, 2024.
The defendants were charged with conspiracy, murder, manslaughter, and negligence. Prosecutors alleged that their poor planning caused the deaths. However, Justice Kamorudeen Olawoyin ruled there was no evidence to support the murder or manslaughter charges. He said the incident was not intentional but a tragic result of mismanagement. The case was first heard by an Iyaganku Magistrate Court, which lacked jurisdiction over murder cases.
Considering the ruling, filing murder charges seems more aimed at attracting public attention than delivering justice. The Ibadan stampede occurred during a charity event organised by Silekunola’s Women in Need of Guidance and Support (WINGS) Foundation. The event, meant to give ₦5,000 cash and food to 5,000 people, attracted over 7,500 attendees. This and other recent stampedes reflect growing hardship and systemic failures in governance, but those responsible are rarely held accountable.
The defendants, previously held at Agodi Correctional Centre, pleaded not guilty. Justice Olawoyin granted them bail with strict conditions, including surrendering their passports and avoiding media statements while the trial continued.
The comparison to a similar incident in Lagos in 2024 has raised concerns about fairness. Seven people died during a stampede at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) headquarters in Yaba. The chaos happened during the sale of confiscated rice for ₦10,000 per 25kg bag. Despite the deaths and calls for justice, no Customs officials were either charged or held accountable. Speaking to The Punch, Customs spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada attributed the stampede to the crowd’s impatience. The inconsistencies in how the Nigerian judicial system handles cases remain a matter of contention. The Ibadan trial continues on January 13, 2025.
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