Oyo Court Adjourns Case of Former Ooni’s Wife and Others Over 35 Child Deaths

A Chief Magistrate Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, has adjourned the trial of Naomi Silekunola, the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, and several other individuals facing charges related to a tragic stampede that led to the deaths of at least 35 children in December 2024.

Silekunola, alongside Oriyomi Hamzat, an Ibadan-based broadcaster and chairman of a radio station, and Abdulahib Fasasi, the Principal of Islamic High School, Basorun, are facing a four-count charge involving conspiracy, murder, manslaughter, and negligence in connection with the deadly incident.

The case, initially scheduled for mention on Monday, was adjourned to March 24, 2025, by the Chief Magistrate.

Following the adjournment, Hamzat’s legal counsel, Dapo Akinosi, addressed the media, explaining that the case had been slated for mention after the defendants were previously arraigned on a charge not recognized by law. He noted that the defendants were remanded in prison following the initial charge, which led them to later apply for bail at the High Court. Bail was granted, and legal advice had now been issued with proper charges filed against the defendants, although they had not yet been served with the information.

Akinosi stated, “The matter today was actually slated for mention because when they were arraigned initially, it was on a holden charge, which is not recognised by our law. They were remanded in prison as a result of that charge. We subsequently applied to the High Court, where bail was granted to the defendants.”

Akinosi further requested a longer adjournment to allow the proper proceedings to take place, including plea-taking at the High Court, before the case continues at the Magistrate Court.