An Oyo State High Court in Ibadan has granted bail to Naomi Silekunola, a former wife of the Ooni of Ife, along with Oriyomi Hamzat, CEO of Agidigbo Radio FM, and Abdullahi Fasasi, the principal of Islamic High School. Each of the defendants was granted bail in the amount of N10 million.
The court ordered that all defendants must submit their international passports and are prohibited from giving any media interviews, whether in print or on social media, during the trial.
The case involves the tragic deaths of 35 children during a stampede at a Christmas event on December 18, 2024, at Islamic High School, Orita Basorun, Ibadan.
The defendants were initially charged with conspiracy, murder, manslaughter, and negligence on December 24, 2024, at an Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court and were subsequently held at Agodi Correctional Centre.
Justice Kamorudeen Olawoyin, ruling on the bail application, stated that the Magistrate Court lacked the authority to handle the case due to the murder charges. He emphasized that detaining the defendants without proper jurisdiction would violate their rights.
The judge further noted that the stampede was not a planned act, thus the defendants deserved bail.
