Ibadan Stampede: Court Strikes Out Charges Against Ex-Ooni’s Wife, Other

A High Court of Oyo State sitting in Ibadan, the State capital, on Thursday, March 20, 2025, struck out the charges against the trio of Ms Noami Silekunolami, former wife of the Ooni of Ife, broadcaster Oriyomi Hamzat, and Abdullahi Fasasi, the principal of Islamic High School, Ibandan, over the December 2024 stampede that led to the death of 35 children in the state.

It was gathered that the decision of the Court followed the resolve of the State Government to discontinue the case owing to the empathy and compassion shown to the affected families by the defendants.

The Oyo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Biodun Aikomo, confirmed that in the interest of justice, the state opted not to proceed with the trial.

While ruling on the case, the Court presided over by Justice B. K. Olawoyin, held that holding the defendants liable could discourage others from engaging in humanitarian activities.

Accordingly, Justice Olawoyin dismissed the four-count charge preferred against the three defendants that bordered on conspiracy, acceleration of death, negligent acts causing harm and failure to provide adequate security and medical facilities.

The stampede occurred on December 18, 2024 during a Christmas funfair organised by Silekunolami in partnership with Hamzat.

The event which was meant for children from less privileged backgrounds, turned tragic due to overcrowding that eventually led to a stampede during which many children were injured and some lost their lives.

The prosecutors had argued that the defendants failed to carried out necessary safety measures which resulted in deaths and injuries.

The trio of Ms Noami Silekunolami, Oriyomi Hamzat, and Abdullahi Fasasi were detained in December but later granted bail on January 13, 2025.

The bail conditions granted by the Court included a N10 million bond, two sureties with landed property within the court’s jurisdiction, and also directed the defendants to deposit their international passports with the Registrar of the Court and were also barred from granting media interviews during the trial.

Speaking on the development, Mr Biodun Aikomo, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Oyo State, explained that the government had initially sought to prosecute the case, but later resolved to withdraw the charges due to the empathy and compassion shown to and by the affected families, adding that efforts were made to console the families of the victims.