Ibadan stampede: Court grants N10m bail each to Naomi Silekunola, Hamzat

The Oyo state high court has granted bail to Naomi Silekunola, ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife; and Oriyomi Hamzat, CEO of Agidigbo FM.

The duo, alongside Fasasi Abdullahi, principal of the Islamic High School, Basorun, Ibadan, were each granted bail on Monday in the sum of N10 million and two sureties in like sum.

The trio are standing trial for their alleged roles in a stampede at a funfair in Ibadan in December, which claimed the lives of over 30 people, most of them children.

The defendants were remanded at Agodi correctional centre on December 24 after being charged with four counts bordering on conspiracy, negligence causing harm, and failing to provide adequate security and medical facilities.

MAGISTRATE COURT HEARING

At the resumed hearing of the case at the magistrate court, Iyaganku, Sikiru Opaleye, the prosecutor, told Olabisi Ogunkanmi, the chief magistrate, that the state department of public prosecution (DPP) had deemed that the defendants have a case to answer.

The court ruled that an appeal be filed and taken formally at the high court since the magistrate court lacks the jurisdiction to hear the case.

Ogunkanmi explained that if the appeal is heard at the high court, the defendants will appear to have the case struck out at the magistrate court.

She subsequently adjourned the case to January 27 at the behest of Abdulfatai Oyedeji, counsel to Abdullahi (third defendant), for mention.

Oyedeji said at the next hearing, “the three defendants will appear, their appeals will be taken and from there, the battleground will shift to the high court”.

He said if the defendants had been present in court, their appeals may have been taken today.

“They have to be here physically to take their appeal whether guilty or not guilty before we move to the second phase of the battle,” he said.