A High Court of Oyo State sitting in Ibadan on Monday, January 13, 2025, granted the bail applications filed by the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, Naomi Silekunola, owner of a prominent indigenous radio station, Agidigbo FM, Oriyomi Hamzat and the Principal of Islamic High School, Ibadan, Bashorun, Abdullahi Fasasi.
The Court presided over by Justice Kamorudeen Olawoyin granted the bail application in the sum of N10 million with two sureties.
The court directed that the Radio Station of Oriyomi Hamzat must not broadcast the news.
The defendants had last Tuesday, argued their bail applications before the court but, for which Court ruled that they should be remanded in Correctional Centre until today (Monday) for a ruling on their bail application.
The defence team had made a case for bail, arguing that the accused didn’t pose a flight risk and were willing to cooperate with the investigation.
But, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Oyo State, Abiodun Aikomo, opposed the motion, highlighting the seriousness of the charges and the need to ensure justice for the victims and their families.
However, Adekunle Shobaloju, SAN, counsel to one of the defendants, Hamzat Oriyomi, countered saying; “Well, what we did was we filed an application that he should be admitted to 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 ground, which I would not want to expatiate on here”.
The defendants were arrested for the ill-fated children’s festive party in December 2024, which claimed the lives of 35 children following a stampede at the Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan.
The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, had insisted that those involved in the stampede must face trial, adding however, that he wasn’t against the suspects being granted bail in the case.
