The ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife, Naomi Silekunola, owner of a prominent indigenous radio station, Agidigbo FM, Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat and the Principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun, Abdullahi Fasasi have been granted bail.
The Oyo State High Court in Ibadan granted the bail applications filed by the ex -queen in a ruling made by Justice Kamorudeen Olawoyin of the Oyo State High Court, on Monday.
Hamzat was granted a N10 million bail and required to provide two sureties. The court also ruled that his organisation must not broadcast the news.
The defendants argued their bail applications before the court last Tuesday, but the court later ruled that the defendants should be remanded in prison till today (Monday) for a ruling on their bail applications.
The defence team had made a case for bail, arguing that the accused persons didn’t pose a flight risk and were willing to cooperate with investigation into the stampede.
However, the Oyo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abiodun Aikomo, strongly countered this motion, highlighting the seriousness of the charges and the need to ensure justice for the victims and their families.
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Adekunle Shobaloju (SAN), counsel for one of the defendants, Hamzat Oriyomi, said: “Well, what we did was we filed an application that he should be admitted to bail pending arraignment, and the application was argued today.
“The court listened to all the various arguments, and the ruling was reserved till the 13th of January. So principally, we are saying that he ought to be admitted on bail based on certain grounds which I would not want to expatiate on here.”
The defendants were arrested over the ill-fated children’s festive party in December 2024, which claimed the lives of at least 35 children following a stampede at the Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan.
