An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan and presided over by Justice K. B. Olawoyin on Monday granted the bail applications filed by Olori Naomi Silekunola, Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat and Abdulahi Fasasi.
TheNewsGuru.com(TNG) reports that the police arrested Silekunola after several children died at a stampede organised by her foundation, Women in Need of Guidance and Support (WINGS) at the Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan.
The police then charged Silekunola, alongside the proprietor of Agidigbo FM, Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat, and the Principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan, Abdulahi Fasasi for conspiracy, negligence leading to death, endangering public safety, and failure to provide adequate security and medical facilities at the event.
Following the trio’s arrangement, the Ibadan Magistrate’s Court remanded them in prison on December 24, 2024. Justice K.B. Olawoyin of the Oyo State High Court also refused to grant bail during a hearing on Tuesday, adjourning the ruling to Monday, January 13, 2025.
The bail is coming shortly after the Oyo State government filed a fresh 18-count charge suit before the Oyo State High Court against the trio in relation to the stampede.
The 18-count charge borders on alleged conspiracy to commit a felony, namely murder; manslaughter; conspiracy to commit an offence and criminal negligence, which are said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 324 of the Criminal Code, CAP 38, Vol II Law of Oyo State, 2000.
In the charge sheet, the prosecution revealed the names and details of 14 of the reported 35 victims of the incident. The charge also alleges that the suspects, “did conspire together to commit a felony, namely criminal negligence, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 517 of the Criminal Code, CAP 38, Vol II, Law of Oyo State, 2000.
“Did negligently omit to provide adequate security, crowd control mechanisms, and medical facilities to prevent a stampede at a children’s funfair programme organised by you, and your negligent omission resulted in the death of one Musiliu Sofiat, ‘f’, aged 8 years, and 34 other children, thereby committing an offence contrary to section 308 and punishable under section 344 of the Criminal Code, CAP 38, Vol II, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”