The Oyo State government has officially withdrawn the criminal case against Oriyomi Hamzat, Naomi Silekunola, and Fasasi Abdullahi Fasasi, following the tragic stampede that occurred at the Islamic High School Bashorun in December 2024, resulting in the deaths of over 30 individuals, mostly children. Abiodun Aikomo, the Commissioner of Justice and Attorney-General of Oyo, announced this decision during a press briefing after the Ibadan high court struck out the case.
Initially, the three individuals faced serious charges, including conspiracy to commit murder and manslaughter. They were remanded at the Agodi correctional facility but were granted bail in January. In the wake of the incident, the state government sought to hold them accountable, but as the proceedings unfolded, it became apparent that the accused demonstrated empathy and compassion toward the victims’ families.
Aikomo explained that the essence of prosecution is not to punish without cause but to serve justice. After considering the circumstances and the affected parties’ sentiments, the state decided to discontinue the charges, believing it was in the interest of justice.
Abdulwaheed Olajide, the counsel for Fasasi, added that the families of both the victims and the defendants had reached an agreement to settle the matter amicably, highlighting that the incident was an unfortunate accident rather than a deliberate act. The parties involved aimed to prevent potential societal unrest and to foster goodwill in the community.
“It was an unfortunate incident that led to the death of many. And you see, in law, whenever death occurs in circumstances that are not natural, the law will take its course. So the state responded by filing charges against the persons implicated in the investigation,” Aikomo said.
Read Also: Court dismisses lawsuit against Sen. Ned Nwoko over defection from PDP to APC
“In the course of doing that, we actually wanted to prosecute but the affected persons showed empathy. They showed compassion. And as far as human beings can do, they try to persuade the feelings of the affected parties.
“And the circumstance, we felt, the essence of prosecution is not to kill people or persecute them.
“It is in the interest of justice to discontinue these charges, and that is what happened today. So we withdrew the charge and it was struck out by the court. There is no charge against them again, so they are free.”
Also speaking, Abdulwaheed Olajide, counsel to Fasasi, said the families of the victims and the defendants reached an agreement to settle the matter out of court.
“The good thing is that the defendants as well as the state met and considered wider implication of the case and decided to put a stop to it so that it will not send a wrong signal to the larger society because if the crisis is allowed to persist, you will discover that men of goodwill will be running away from Oyo state. Just to run away from such, the two sides decided to find an amicable solution,” Olajide said.
“They were brought into the picture, they were appealed to and they were made to understand that this is a thing that happened as a result of an accident which can happen anytime.
“It is beyond human control. So they agreed with us… and we said we can still go ahead and show empathy to the families of the deceased.
“The state appreciated that and in consequence decided to withdraw the charges against the defendants.
“We thank God, we all went to the river and we came back with our pots full of water to quench the thirst of each and every one of us.”
