The Chief Magistrate Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, has postponed proceedings in the case involving Naomi Silekunola, former wife of the Ooni of Ife, and two others in connection with the tragic deaths of 35 children during a stampede in December 2024.
Silekunola, along with Oriyomi Hamzat, an Ibadan-based broadcaster and radio station chairman, and Abdulahib Fasasi, Principal of Islamic High School, Basorun, is facing four charges, including conspiracy, murder, manslaughter, and negligence.
The case, originally scheduled for mention on Monday, has been adjourned to March 24, 2025, by the Chief Magistrate.
Speaking to reporters after the court session, Hamzat’s lawyer, Dapo Akinosi, explained that the charges initially brought against the defendants were on a holden charge, which is not legally recognized. This led to their earlier remand in prison.
“We applied to the High Court, which subsequently granted them bail. Proper legal advice has since been issued, and new information has been filed against the defendants, but they are yet to be served,” Akinosi stated.
He added that the defence requested an extended adjournment to allow the High Court to handle the plea-taking process and proceed with the case appropriately before it is concluded at the Magistrate Court.
