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Ooni of Ife’s ex-queen, Naomi Silekunola, owner of Ibadan-based broadcasting station, Agidigbo FM, Oriyomi Hamzat, and the Principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun, Abdulahi Fasasi, regained their freedom from Agodi Correctional Centre on Tuesday, 21 days after they were remanded over the death of 35 children during a stampede in Ibadan.
Justice K. B. Olawoyin of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan had on Monday admitted them to bail in the sum of N10m each with two sureties in like sum.
The defendants face 18 counts, bordering on murder and manslaughter, pressed against them by the Oyo State Government over the December 18 tragedy.
Following their release on Tuesday, Hamzat was welcomed by a mamoth crowd of his well-wishers at his broadcasting station, where he was captured in tears while addressing the people.
He told the crowd, “Oriyomi is back. At this time, I am in a moment of silence. Thank you very much.”
In his ruling on Monday, Justice Olawoyin, rejected the state government’s objection to the defendants’ bail application, remarking that since the the tragic stampede was not a premeditated act, the defendants were entitled to bail.
The judge, while faulting the detention of the defendants, declared that there is no place in Nigerian law for a holding charge, which was used to detain them by a magistrates’ court.
“There was no place for holding charge in the Constitution and keeping them in custody would amount to an infringement on their rights, especially without taking them to the right court that could entertain the charges against them,” Justice Olawoyin said.
In the charge sheet, marked I/05C/2025, the government accused the defendants of “conspiracy to commit a felony to wit: murder, manslaughter, conspiracy to commit an offense to wit: criminal negligence, and criminal negligence.”
The offences were said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 324 of the Criminal Code, CAP 38, Vol II, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
In the charge sheet obtained by The PUNCH, the prosecution disclosed the names and details of 14 out of the 35 children who died the incident.
They include Musiliu Sofiat, female, eight years; Lekan Salami, male, seven years; Feyikemi Salam, female, 1.5 years; Olaniyan Joshua, male, 1.5 years; Laeef Muisi, male, eight years; Opeyemi Ayomide, female, four years; Adebayo-Fatimah, female, four years; Adebayo-Abibat, female, five years; Adeyanju Taiwo, female, eight years; Salaudeen Khalid, male, minor; Anjorin Faridat, female, 10 years; Nahaam Muisi, male, 13 years; and Babatunde Toheeb, male, 18 years.
The state alleged that the defendants “negligently omitted to provide adequate security, crowd control mechanisms, and medical facilities to prevent a stampede at a children’s funfair programme organised by you.”
It alleged that the defendants’ “negligent omission resulted in the death of Musiliu Sofiat, aged 8 years, and 34 other children, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 308 and punishable under Section 344 of the Criminal Code, CAP 38, Vol II, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”
