Ooni’s ex-queen, others to spend Christmas, New Year in Agodi prison

A Chief Magistrate’s Court 1 sitting in Iyaganku, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Tuesday, ordered the remand of an ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife, Naomi Silekunola; the Chief Executive Officer of Agidigbo FM, Oriyomi Hamzat; and the Principal of Islamic High School, Basorun, Abdullahi Fasasi, at the Agodi Correctional Centre.

After issuing the remand order, the presiding Chief Magistrate, Olabisi Ogunkanmi, adjourned the case till January 13, 2025, meaning that the defendants will spend Christmas and New Year in custody.

The police had arrested them last week after a children’s Christmas funfair they organised in Ibadan turned tragic as 35 children were killed in a stampede.

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On Tuesday, the police presented to the court, a case file marked, C/2024: Commissioner of Police Versus Naomi Silekunola ‘f’ 31 years, Oriyomi Hamzat ‘m’ 51 years, and Abdulahi Fasasi, ‘m’, 56 years.

Following their appearance in court, the magistrate said the trio should be remanded in custody pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Oyo State Ministry of Justice.

It was earlier reported that Silekunola; Hamzat, Fasasi alongside others were arrested in connection with last week’s Ibadan funfair stampede which claimed 35 children and six others sustained varying degrees of injury at Islamic High School, Basorun, Ibadan.

It was gathered that five out of the suspects were released by the police, on Monday night at the state Criminal Investigations Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan.

Those released included Genesisi Christopher, ‘m” age 24 years; Tanimowo Moruf, ‘m’ 52 years; Anisoloja Olabode, ‘m’ 42 years; Idowu Ibrahim, ‘m’ 35 years and Abiola Oluwatimileyin, ‘m’ 25 years.

Silekunola, Hamzat and Fasasi are facing trial on four counts, bordering on conspiracy, acceleration of death, negligent acts causing harm and committing to provide adequate security and medical facilities.

All the suspects were in court in person.

The magistrate later adjourned the case till Monday, January 13, 2025 for mention, urging the DPP to act fast in issuing legal advice.

Unconfirmed reports said Hamzat was arrested on his hospital bed where he was receiving medical attention following his illness in the aftermath of the tragedy that led to the death of 35 children.

During the Tuesday proceedings, counsel for the school principal, Waheed Olajide, raised the issue of jurisdiction, noting that the magistrates’ court cannot adjudicate the offence and as such the defendants should not be arraigned in the court.

According to the senior lawyer, the essence of bringing the suspects to court is to be heard, adding that there was nothing before the court to prove that the suspects committed the alleged offences.

Olajide urged the magistrate to send the defendants back to the police station to of correctional centre.

In his submission, Hamzat’s lawyer, Ridwan Adekunle, told the court that they had a meeting with the Officer-in-Charge Legal, on Monday, where he got an agreement that his client would not be allowed to be taken to a correctional facility but kept in police custody.

But in her ruling, the chief magistrate disagreed with the submissions of the counsel, emphasising her “discretion” to determine the issue.

Justifying the decision, the chief magistrate said, “The police, who brought the suspects to the court, ought to have factored in their health conditions and the circumstances that informed the case itself before bringing them to court and having brought them, I have the responsibility of putting them in a correctional centre, pending the time legal advice would come out from the DPP.”

She added that the legal advice would determine whether or not the suspects have a case to answer.

The magistrate then adjourned the case till Monday, January 13, 2025 for mention and urged the DPP to act fast in making the legal advice available

Meanwhile, some supporters and fans of Hamzat also stormed the court premises but the heavy presence of security operatives within the court saved the situation from getting out of hand.

The supporters, who were visibly angry, protested as the patrol vans conveying the suspects drove out of the court.