An Oyo State High Court, sitting at Ring Road on Monday granted bail to an ex-queen of the Ooni of Ife, Naomi Silekunola.
The bail also applied to a broadcaster and the Chief Executive Officer, Agidigbo Radio FM, Ibadan, Oriyomi Hamzat; and the Principal of Islamic High School, Abdulahi Fasasi.
Presiding over Court 8, Justice K.B Olawoyin gave the ruling following a bail application filed by the counsel for the trio.
The Judge gave five conditions for the bail, including N10 million and two sureties who must submit landed documents within the court’s jurisdiction.
Other conditions are that the applicants must deposit their international passports with the court and they are barred from granting any form of interview during the pendency of the case.
The defendants were kept in prison custody since December 24, following their arrest by the police.
The Oyo State Government had filed eight counts bordering on murder and manslaughter against the trio over the December 18, 2024 funfair stampede, during which 35 children died.
In the counts, the government accused the defendants of “conspiracy to commit a felony to wit: murder, manslaughter, conspiracy to commit an offence to wit: criminal negligence, and criminal negligence.”
While addressing journalists, Oriyomi’s counsel, Adekunle Sobaloju disclosed that the court had agreed to a bail application
Sobaloju said, “Well, what we did was we filed an application that he should be admitted to bail pending arraignment, and the application was argued today.
“The court listened to all the various arguments and the ruling was reserved till the 13th of January. So principally, we are saying that he ought to be admitted on bail based on certain grounds which I would not want to expatiate on here.”
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
