How Attorneys On The Ibadan Stampede Case Failed To Sway The Court

Arguments by attorneys to sway the court hearing the Ibadan stampede case in favour of their clients have failed to yield water.

The attorneys tried their best yesterday to convince the court not to remand their clients but the pleas could not fly.

The Magistrate, Olabisi Ogunkanmi, ordered that they should be remanded pending the advice from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), of the Oyo State Ministry of Justice.

Former Queen of Ooni of Ife, Prophetess Naomi Silekunola, alongside owner of Agidigbo FM, Mr. Hamzat Oriyomi, and the Principal of Islamic School, Bashorun, Mr. Abdullahi Fasasi were arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy, acceleration of death, negligent acts causing harm, as well as failure to provide adequate security and medical facilities.

They were involved in an outreach aimed at distributing Christmas goodies to children which however resulted in a stampede and the death of 35 minors.

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’The court ruled yesterday that they should be remanded in prison custody till January 13, pending the advice from the Director of Public Prosecution, (DPP.).

This ruling was what propelled the pleas from the attorneys.

Attorney to Oriyomi Hamzat, Mr Ridwan Adekunle told the court that there was a mutual agreement between him and the Officer-in-Charge (OC) Legal, that his client be not taken to prison but be kept in police custody.

That to the principal, Mr. Olajide, equally argued that his clients should not be arraigned in court, urging the court to send them to the police custody instead of prison custody; these were not granted.

The case, marked C/2024 was instituted by the Commissioner of Police, and though 7 suspects were earlier arrested, 5 of them were released.

Earlier, both Oriyomi and Queen Naomi had been hospitalised allegedly for shock over the tragedy.

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The Eagle reports that stampedes have occurred in not just Oyo, but also Anambra and the Federal Capital Territory within the yuletide.

These have stirred arguments in the country on the worrisome level of hunger and suffering.

Many argue that the stampedes would not have happened, had the government been alive to its responsibilities.