The Oyo State High Court in Ibadan has dismissed murder charges against the ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife, Naomi Silekunola, owner of Agidigbo FM, Oriyomi Hamzat, and principal of the Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan, Abdullahi Fasasi, linked to a tragic stampede that killed at least 35 children during a festive party in December 2024.
The ruling was pronouced by Justice Kamorudeen Olawoyin during a court session after the Oyo State Government withdrew its case tied to the tragic incident.
State Attorney General Abiodun Aikomo also announced the discontinuation of the charges on Thursday, stating, “It was an unfortunate incident that led to the death of many. And you see, in law, whenever death occurs and the circumstances are not natural, the law will take its course. So the state responded by filing charges against the persons implicated in the investigation.”
He added, “In the course of doing that, we actually wanted to prosecute but the affected persons showed empathy. They showed compassion. And as far as human beings can do, they try to persuade the feelings of the affected parties. And the circumstance, we felt, the essence of prosecution is not to kill people or persecute them. It is in the interest of justice to discontinue these charges, and that is what happened today.”
The defendants, visibly relieved, were seen smiling and exchanging pleasantries after the trial, marking their release from the legal burden.
The move follows weeks of intense legal proceedings sparked by the devastating stampede at the Islamic High School, Bashorun, during a children’s event last December.
Earlier, Justice Olawoyin had granted bail to Naomi at N10m with two sureties, while Hamzat and Fasasi received similar terms.
The court had also ordered the suspects to deposit their passports and refrain from granting interviews, imposing restrictions on their public activities.
The prosecution, led by Aikomo, had initially opposed bail, citing the severity of the charges, but the defense argued the accused cooperated fully and posed no flight risk.
Governor Makinde had previously vowed that those responsible would face trial, though he remained open to bail during the process.
