The Oyo State High Court in Ibadan has granted bail to former wife of Ooni of Ife, Naomi Silekunola, and Oriyomi Hazmat, owner of Agidigbo F.M Radio station as well as Abdullahi Fasasi, Principal of Islamic High School, Ibadan.
Penpushing reports that the trio are being prosecuted for the deaths of 35 children during a stampede at a Christmas funfair programme on December 18, 2024 held at the Islamic High School, Ibadan, Oyo State Capital.
The court granted the three defendants bail N10million each, while it is recalled that they were on December 24, 2024 arraigned before an Iyaganku Magistrate’s Court on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, murder, manslaughter and negligence.
Penpushing further reports that counsel to the defendants subsequently filed applications for bail at the state High Court, while the accused persons were thereafter remanded at Agodi Correctional Centre in Ibadan
The judge, Justice Kamorudeen Olawoyin in his ruling on the bail application on Monday, in his capacity as a representative of the court, admitted the former queen and her co-defendants to bail in the sum of N10 million each with two reliable sureties.
Penpushing also reports that Olawoyin declared that the Magistrate Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case due to the murder charge contained in the charge sheet, stressing that there was no place for holding charges in the constitution, and keeping them in custody would infringe on their rights.
The judge added that the stampede incident was not a premeditated act, so the defendants were entitled to bail, however, directed that the defendants submit their international passports to the court and not grant any press interviews in print or on social media during the trial and adjourned the case for further hearing until January 27, 2025.
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