Paragraph 1: The Tragic Christmas Funfair and Subsequent Arrests
A festive Christmas funfair organized for children in Ibadan on December 18, 2024, took a tragic turn when a stampede ensued, resulting in the deaths of 35 children. Following the incident, three individuals were arrested and detained: Silekunola Naomi, the ex-queen of the Ooni of Ife, Oriyomi Hamzat, the owner of a local broadcasting station, and Abdulahib Fasasi, the principal of Islamic High School, Basorun. They were held in custody at the Agodi Correctional Centre on a holding charge, pending further investigation and formal charges.
Paragraph 2: Challenging the Detention and Granting Bail
On Monday, January 8, 2025, Justice K.B. Olawoyin of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan presided over the bail application for the three defendants. Justice Olawoyin criticized the use of a holding charge, declaring it unconstitutional and an infringement on the defendants’ rights. He emphasized that the prolonged detention without being brought before a court competent to handle the charges was unlawful. The judge granted bail to each defendant, setting the amount at N10 million with two sureties each.
Paragraph 3: Bail Conditions and Legal Counsel’s Remarks
The court stipulated specific conditions for the bail. Each surety must possess landed property within the court’s jurisdiction and be willing to deposit the property documents with the court. Furthermore, the defendants were required to surrender their passports to the court’s registry, effectively barring them from traveling abroad. They were also prohibited from granting press interviews until the conclusion of their trial. Hamzat’s lawyer, Adekunle Sobaloju (SAN), expressed confidence that his client would be released promptly after fulfilling the bail requirements.
Paragraph 4: Emerging Murder Charges and Legal Ambiguity
While the bail hearing was underway, news emerged of potential murder charges being levied against the defendants by the state government. However, Sobaloju, Hamzat’s lawyer, stated that they had not received formal notification of these charges, having only encountered the information through social media. This introduced an element of uncertainty regarding the precise charges the defendants would ultimately face in the high court.
Paragraph 5: Proceedings at the Magistrates’ Court and DPP’s Involvement
Concurrent with the high court proceedings, the Oyo State Magistrates’ Court in Iyaganku received an update on the case. The state’s prosecuting counsel, Sikiru Opaleye, informed the court that the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had established a prima facie case against the defendants and authorized their prosecution. However, due to the defendants’ simultaneous appearance at the high court, they were absent from the magistrates’ court. The prosecutor indicated that the case file had been duplicated and the DPP’s advice was pending the formal filing of information at the high court.
Paragraph 6: Adjournment and the Road Ahead
Given the developments at the high court and the impending transfer of the case, the chief magistrate, Mrs. Olabisi Ogunkanmi, adjourned the matter at the magistrates’ court until January 27, 2025. This adjournment allows time for the formal charges to be filed at the high court and for the bail conditions to be met. The case now moves to the higher court, where the defendants will face the charges stemming from the tragic Christmas funfair stampede. The legal battle ahead will center on the specific charges, the evidence presented, and the defendants’ defense strategies.
