The Oyo State Government has filed fresh 18-count charges against the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, Naomi Silekunola.
Naomi Silekunola is being charged alongside popular radio proprietor, Oriyomi Hamzat and the Principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun, Abdulahi Fasasi.
The case, which was filed on Friday, January 10, 2025, at the State High Court, is marked I/05C/2025 in which the suspects were accused of conspiracy to commit murder, manslaughter, criminal negligence, and other related charges.
The case followed the tragic stampede incident that happened at a children’s funfair event that claimed the lives of 35 children.
The defendants were also charged for failing to provide adequate security, crowd control mechanisms, and medical facilities during the ill-fated funfair event held at the Islamic High School.
The Oyo State government is insisting that the alleged negligence of the defendants led to a stampede which resulted in the deaths of 35 children, with 14 victims identified in the court documents.
The prosecutor accused the defendants of conspiring to commit acts of criminal negligence, contrary to Section 517 of the Criminal Code, CAP 38, Vol II, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
The charge sheet stated; “The trio did negligently omit to provide adequate security, crowd control mechanisms, and medical facilities, resulting in the death of Musiliu Sofiat, aged 8, and 34 other children”.
The defendants were remanded at the Agodi correctional centre in Ibadan in December 2024 by a Magistrate court.
