The mother of the former Queen of Ooni of Ife, Prophetess Naomi Silekunola, has appealed to Nigerians to help her after her daughter was remanded in Agodi prison over the stampede that led to the deaths of 35 minors in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
In a short video, the mother, in tears, pleaded and declared that her daughter is innocent of the charges against her.
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She said, “Help me; have mercy on me; don’t let them destroy my life. My daughter has been doing this program for over 10 years; it is to help children. Please, the world, help free Naomi; help free my daughter; she is very innocent.”
It would be recalled Chief Magistrate Olabisi Ogunkanmi of the Oyo State Chief Magistrate Court 1 sitting at Iyaganku in Ibadan on Tuesday ordered the remand of an ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife, Prophetess Naomi Silekunola Ogunwusi; the owner of Agidigbo FM, Oriyomi Hamzat; and the Principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan, Fasasi Abdullahi Babatunde, at the Agodi Custodial Centre.
The Court said the remand order was pending the issuance of legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), Ministry of Justice, Oyo State.
The charges read, “That you, Naomi Silekunola Ogunwusi F, Alh, Oriyomi Hamzat ‘M’, Fasasi Abdullahi Babatunde ‘M’, and others now at large, on the 18th day of December 2024, between 5:00 am and 8:00 am, at Islamic High School, Bashorun area, Ibadan, in the Ibadan Magisterial district did Conspire with one another to commit felony to wit: Acceleration of death and thereby committed an offence Contrary to Section 324 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 38, vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.
“That you, Naomi Silekunola Ogunwusi ‘F’, Alh. Oriyomi Hamzat ‘M’, Fasasi Abdullahi Babatunde ‘M’ and others now at large, on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial did unlawfully Accelerated the death of Musiliu Sofiat ‘f’ Age 8yrs and thirty-four (34) others between the age of 5months to 13yrs by inviting them for a children’s fun fair program but failed to provide adequate security/medical facility to prevent stampede at the venue and thereby committed an offence Contrary to Section 311 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 38, vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.
“That you Naomi Silekunola Ogunwusi ‘F’, Alh, Oriyomi Hamzat ‘M’, Fasasi Abdullahi Babatunde ‘M’ and others now at large, on the 18th day of December 2024, between 5:00 am and 8:00 am, at Islamic High School, Bashorun area, Ibadan, in the Ibadan Magisterial district, did Conspire with one another to commit an offence to wit: Negligent acts causing harm and thereby committed an offence Contrary to Section 517 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 38, vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.
“That you Naomi Silekunola Ogunwusi ‘F’, Alh. Oriyomi Hamzat ‘M’, Fasasi Abdullahi Babatunde ‘M’, and others now at large, on the same date, time, and place in the aforementioned Magisterial did unlawfully omit To provide adequate security/medical facility and a conducive atmosphere to prevent stampede at the children’s funfair program before inviting them to the venue which led to the death of Musiliu Sofiat ‘f, age 8 years, and thirty-four (34) others between the ages of 5 months to 13 years, and thereby committed an offence Contrary to and punishable under Section 344 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 38, vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.”