A combined photo of Hamzat Oriyomi and Naomi Silekunola
By Our Reporter
The 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 dependable government source privy to the case this newspaper 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.
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.”
