On Tuesday, the Oyo State Government urged the High Court in Ibadan to deny bail to Naomi Silekunola, the former queen of the Ooni of Ife, Hamzat Oriyomi, and school principal Fasasi Abdullahi.
The trio had been remanded in custody on December 24 over a fatal stampede at a Christmas Funfair they organised in Ibadan, resulting in the deaths of 35 children.
Spending both Christmas and New Year’s Day in detention, the defendants’ lawyers argued in court that their continued imprisonment was unconstitutional, citing procedural flaws and health concerns.
They contended that the “holding charge” used for their detention is not recognised under Nigeria’s Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
However, the Oyo State Attorney General, Abiodun Aikomo, opposed the bail requests, stating that the applicants had not presented sufficient grounds for release. Aikomo also dismissed claims of persecution by the state as baseless.
Defence counsel for Fasasi Abdullahi highlighted his client’s deteriorating health as grounds for bail, while lawyers for Silekunola and Oriyomi described their detention as a violation of constitutional rights.
Justice K.B. Olawoyin adjourned the ruling on the bail applications to Monday, January 13, 2025, after hearing submissions from both parties.
