The Oyo State government has filed a fresh suit against a former wife of the Ooni of Ife, Prophetess Naomi Silekunola; the proprietor of an Ibadan-based radio station, Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat and the Principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan, Mr. Abdulahi Fasasi.
The 18-count suit marked : I/05C/2025 -the State Government versus Naomi Silekunola , Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat and Fasasi Abdullahi Babatunde was filed at the State High Court on Friday, 10th January 2025.
The 18-count charge relate to: conspiracy to commit a felony, namely murder; manslaughter; conspiracy to commit an offence and criminal negligence.
According to Oyo State Government, the offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 324 of the Criminal Code, CAP 38, Vol II Law of Oyo State, 2000.
In the charge sheet, the prosecution revealed the names and details of 14 of the reported 35 victims of the incident, including Musiliu Sofiyah, ‘f’, 8 years; Lekan Salami, ‘m’, 7 years; Feyikemi Salam, ‘f’, 1 and a half years; Olaniyan Joshua, ‘m’, 1 and a half years; and Laeef Muisi, ‘m’, 8 years.
Others are: Opeyemi Ayomide, ‘f’, 4 years; Adebayo-Fatimah, ‘f’, 4 years; Adebayo-Abibat, ‘f’, 5 years; Adeyanju Taiwo, ‘f’, 8 years; Salaudeen Khalid, ‘m’, minor; Anjorin Faridat, ‘f’, 10 years; Nahaam Muisi, ‘m’, 13 years; and Babatunde Toheeb, ‘m’, 18 years.
The charge also disclosed that the suspects “did conspire together to commit a felony, namely criminal negligence, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 517 of the Criminal Code, CAP 38, Vol II, Law of Oyo State, 2000.
“Did negligently omit to provide adequate security, crowd control mechanisms, and medical facilities to prevent a stampede at a children’s funfair programme organised by you, and your negligent omission resulted in the death of one Musiliu Sofiat, ‘f’, 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.”
It is instructive to note that two different courts in Ibadan will also on Monday (today) hear matters relating to the stampede involving Naomi, Oriyomi and the school principal.
Just as an Oyo State High Court will be ruling on the bail application of the trio before it, a Chief Magistrate’s Court will also be hearing the case after it adjourned last year and ordered them to be remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre.
Justice K. B Olawoyin of Court 8, Oyo State High Court, Ring Road, Ibadan, also fixed Monday, January 13, 2025, to deliver his ruling on the bail application filed by Naomi Silekunola, Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat and Abdulahi Fasasi.
Naomi is the ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II and runs Wings Foundation, an NGO. Hamzat is the proprietor of an Ibadan-based radio station, Agidigbo FM, while Fasasi is the Principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan.
The three of them are facing trial, following their alleged involvement in the deaths of 35 children as a result of a stampede at Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan.
The event was organised by Naomi’s Wings Foundation, while Oriyomi Hamzat’s radio station, Agidigbo FM, promoted the event.
Also, Chief Magistrate Olabisi Ogunkanmi, presiding over Chief Magistrate Court 1, Iyaganku, Ibadan, had on December 24, 2025, ordered the trio to be remanded at the Agodi Correctional facility pending advice from the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) of the Oyo State Ministry of Justice.
Silekunola, Oriyomi, and Fasasi are facing trial on a four-count charge relating to conspiracy, acceleration of death, negligent acts causing harm, and failure to provide adequate security and medical facilities.
The case with charge number C/2024 is: Commissioner of Police versus Naomi Silekunola, ‘f’, 31 years; Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat, ‘m’, 51 years; and Fasasi Abdullahi Babatunde, ‘m’, 56 years.
But at press time, it could not be confirmed if the DPP’s advice had been approved and issued to the police for onward transmission to the Chief Magistrate.
It was however gathered that the new 18-count criminal charge filed against the trio by the state government may have derived from the legal advice.
