Ibadan Stampede Archives

Oriyomi Hamzat Overwhelmed In Tears As Crowd Celebrates His Return To Broadcasting Station

January 14, 2025 by admin

The proprietor of Agidigbo FM, Oriyomi Hamzat, has regained his freedom after meeting his bail conditions. He was released from Agodi Correctional Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State, alongside his co-accused, Prophetess Naomi Silekunola, the former queen of the Ooni of Ife, and Abdullahi Fasasi, principal of Islamic High School, Basorun. The trio had been remanded following allegations of involvement in a tragic stampede that claimed the lives of 35 children during a funfair event on December 18, 2024. Justice K. B. Olawoyin granted bail to the defendants on Monday, setting the amount at ₦10 million each, along with two sureties of the same value. Upon his release, Hamzat received a hero’s welcome at Agidigbo FM’s broadcasting station along the Ojoo expressway on Tuesday. Overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the crowd, he was moved to tears. Addressing his supporters, he said, “Oriyomi is back. At this time, I am in a moment of silence. Thank you very much.” The Oyo State Government had earlier filed an 18-count criminal charge against Hamzat, Silekunola, and Fasasi in connection with the fatal incident. The charges, filed on January 10, 2025, include conspiracy to commit murder, manslaughter, and criminal negligence. The prosecution alleged that the defendants failed to ensure adequate security, crowd control, and medical facilities during the children’s funfair, leading to the stampede. Court documents detailed that the defendants’ alleged negligence directly resulted in the deaths of 35 children, including an 8-year-old named Musiliu Sofiat. The prosecution stated the trio’s actions violated Section 517 of the Criminal Code, CAP 38, Vol II, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

Ibadan Stampede Update: Ooni Of Ife’s Ex-Wife, Naomi Silekunola And Oriyomi Hamzat Granted Bail

January 13, 2025 by admin

Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan presided over by Justice K. B. Olawoyin on Monday granted the bail applications filed by Olori Naomi Silekunola, Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat, and Abdulahi Fasasi. Hamzat is the founder of the popular Ibadan-based radio station, Agidigbo FM, while Fasasi is the principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan where 35 children died at a children’s funfair organized by the Wings Foundation run by the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, Naomi. Recall that the court had on Tuesday, 7 January, reserved its ruling on the bail applications. Chief Magistrate Mrs. Olabisi Ogunkanmi, presiding over Chief Magistrates’ Court 1, Iyaganku, Ibadan, has on December 24, 2024, ordered the trio to be remanded at Agodi Correctional Facility, pending advice from the Department of Public Prosecution of the Oyo State Ministry of Justice. Naomi, Hamzat, and Fasasi are facing trial on a four-count charge that borders on conspiracy, acceleration of death, negligent acts causing harm, and omitting to provide adequate security and medical facilities. Citybuzznews reports that the Oyo State government on Friday instituted a fresh 18-count charge suit before the Oyo State High Court against the trio about the stampede. The 18-count charge borders on an alleged conspiracy to commit a felony, namely murder; manslaughter; conspiracy to commit an offence, and criminal negligence, which are said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 324 of the Criminal Code, CAP 38, Vol II Law of Oyo State, 2000. In the charge sheet, the prosecution revealed the names and details of 14 of the reported 35 victims of the incident including Musiliu Sofiyah, ‘f’, 8 years; Lekan Salami, ‘m’, 7 years; Feyikemi Salam, ‘f’, 1 and a half years; Olaniyan Joshua, ‘m’, 1 and a half years; and Laeef Muisi, ‘m’, 8 years. Others are Opeyemi Ayomide, ‘f’, 4 years; Adebayo Fatimah, ‘f’, 4 years; Adebayo Abibat, ‘f’, 5 years; Adeyanju Taiwo, ‘f’, 8 years; Salaudeen Khalid, ‘m’, minor; Anjorin Faridat, ‘f’, 10 years; Nahaam Muisi, ‘m’, 13 years; and Babatunde Toheeb, ‘m’, 18 years. The charge also alleges that the suspects, “did conspire together to commit a felony, namely criminal negligence, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 517 of the Criminal Code, CAP 38, Vol II, Law of Oyo State, 2000. “Did negligently omit to provide adequate security, crowd control mechanisms, and medical facilities to prevent a stampede at a children’s funfair programme organized by you, and your negligent omission resulted in the death of one Musiliu Sofiat, ‘f’, aged 8 years, and 34 other children, thereby committing an offence contrary to section 308 and punishable under section 344 of the Criminal Code, CAP 38, Vol II, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”

Ibadan Stampede: Naomi’s Mother Decries Ex-Queen’s Detention, Seeks Tinubu’s Intervention

December 26, 2024 by admin

Mrs. Funmilayo Ogunseyi, the mother of Naomi Silekunola, a former wife of the Ooni of Ife, has called on President Bola Tinubu and well-meaning Nigerians to intervene in her daughter’s legal troubles. Silekunola is among three individuals taken before the Iyaganku Magistrate Court in Ibadan in connection with a tragic funfair stampede that resulted in the death of 35 children last week. The court has since ordered the remand of the accused in prison on charges bordering on conspiracy, negligent acts causing harm, and failure to provide adequate security and medical facilities at the event. In an emotional video that has gone viral, Mrs. Ogunseyi pleaded for mercy, asserting that her daughter’s intentions were purely humanitarian. According to her, Naomi had organised numerous outreach programmes over the past decade to assist the needy, elderly, children, and pregnant women across Nigeria. She lamented that her daughter’s goodwill had inadvertently led to the stampede and subsequent deaths. “Have mercy on me. Mothers have mercy. Come to my rescue. Don’t let my life be destroyed. My child only came to Ibadan to help the needy; this was not her first time. We have travelled across the country helping children and the vulnerable. I sympathise with the families who lost their children; it was never our intention. Please, don’t let Naomi be imprisoned—she is innocent. She only came to show compassion,” Ogunseyi said tearfully. She recounted the events leading to the tragedy, noting that crowds had gathered hours before the programme’s scheduled start time of 10 a.m. According to her, the stampede began around 6:30 a.m., long before Naomi arrived at the venue. Mrs. Ogunseyi further revealed that Naomi, who was reportedly unwell, fainted during police interrogation and remains in custody despite her fragile health. “The programme was meant to begin at 10 a.m., but people started arriving the day before. By 6:30 a.m., the crowd became uncontrollable. Naomi wasn’t even there yet. I received a call about the chaos while still asleep. My phone number was on the event flyer, so I was the one contacted. Naomi, her elder brother, and I immediately went to the police station to report the incident, but she was detained and later charged with murder,” Ogunseyi narrated. Breaking down in tears, Ogunseyi appealed to President Tinubu and other influential Nigerians to intervene. She claimed that her daughter’s predicament was orchestrated by “powerful persons.” “They have taken my child to prison. The court was full of policemen. I don’t know where else to turn. They say her ordeal is an ‘order from above.’ Please, I beg those in power to release her. She is not a killer; she came to help. Naomi is fragile and sick. President Tinubu, I beg you, come to our aid,” she implored. Mrs. Ogunseyi also expressed her condolences to the families of the deceased children, emphasising that the tragedy was unintended.

Ibadan Stampede: Makinde Cancels 57th Birthday Party

December 20, 2024 by admin

S/East PDP leaders visit, commiserate with gov Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has said that the death of some children in a stampede at a private funfare held in Ibadan, the state capital, last Wenesday, was sobering and could have been avoided if due diligence had been done by the organisers. The governor stated this on Friday, when he received leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-East geopolitical zone, who paid him a visit to condole with him over the deaths. Governor Makinde declared that apart from cancelling a birthday lecture planned in his honour in Ebonyi State, he had decided to cancel his birthday party on 25th of December to honour the departed souls. The governor appreciated the South-East PDP leaders led by the chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees and former Senate President, Dr Adolphus Wabara, for their show of love and for letting the residents of Oyo State know that “they are not alone in these sad times.” Those in the South-East PDP delegation also include a former governor of Ebonyi State, Dr Sam Egwu; a former National Secretary of the PDP, Senator Ben Obi; a former National Woman Leader of the PDP, Iyom Josephine Anenih; new National Secretary of the PDP, Chief SKE Udeokoye; PDP National Vice Chairman (South-East), Chief Ali Odefa; Chief Obasi Elebi and the Ebonyi State PDP chairman, Chief Onyema Nwele. The governor said: “We flew into Abuja and planned to be on our way to Ebonyi, when the sad event started unfolding on Wednesday. First, we had to secure the place. I sent the security people in there. “The most painful part for me was that this incident could have been avoided altogether and the deceased are innocent children. “By the time I got to Abuja and I got the full report, I said there was no way we could go on to Ebonyi. But I appreciate all the arrangements and commitment that we were able to see, from my able leader and former National Secretary, Senator Ben Obi. “The love from the South-East is not lost on me and the people of Oyo State. I really want to say thank you for the love. You are the first set of leaders that came physically to commiserate with the Government and the people of Oyo State for that unfortunate incident. “Yes, some people have called, reached out but in terms of physical presence, you are the first. That will not be lost on the people of Oyo State. “This is not a day for long speeches; it is a day that is really sobering for me personally. Not only did I cancel the event in Ebonyi, I told everyone that I would stay indoors on my birthday. There is no party; I have sent the message out. “It has been a difficult year, really. Early in the year, we had the Bodija explosion. We managed through quite a bit. But we are strengthened by the show of support for us, to let us know that we are not alone in facing all of these. “So, on behalf of the government and the people of Oyo State, we want to appreciate you for coming to commiserate with us and to let us know we are not alone.” Speaking earlier, Dr Wabara, expressed the condolences of the South-East PDP to Governor Makinde, noting that the governor is much loved in the South-East and the PDP leaders have chosen to visit to commiserate with him and the people of the state. “Your Excellency, the people you see here this afternoon came all the way from Enugu, the political capital of the South-East, on hearing what happened to you and the good people of Oyo State two days ago. “Yesterday, the entire South-East waited for you but as a statesman, a man who loves his people, you cancelled the meeting because fire was burning in your house. “We, on our own, had to cancel the event and it was well-taken and everybody went back from Abakaliki crying. Not weeping because we didn’t have food to eat but because we know that once Oyo is crying, the entire South-East is crying, not to talk of the leader in your person. You are very much loved in the South-East. “We decided that these elders here should come to clean the tears of the Oyo State people. As you are weeping, we are also weeping. So, we are here to commiserate with you, and through you, with the people of Oyo State. “It is going to be a very sad Christmas for us. The children that died; they are not just Ibadan people, they are Nigerians and we are Nigerians. So, we feel the pains just as much as you do. It will be a bad Christmas. If it is possible for the people of South-East to cancel Christmas, we would have done so. “What has happened is unprecedented and I am happy that you are following it up as you have ordered that a thorough investigation be carried out. You have gone through a lot but with your sagacity and understanding of governance, God has been seeing you through. “Generally, as Christians, when anything happens, whether good or bad, we give thanks to God. So, we want to, on behalf of the South-East PDP stakeholders, pray to God to grant you and the people of Oyo State, particularly the parents of the deceased, the fortitude to bear the loss. “They are supposed to be the leaders of tomorrow but unfortunately, this happened. God knows best.” Governor Makinde also used the occasion to congratulate Chief SKE Udeokoye, who was affirmed as the National Secretary of the PDP by the Court of Appeal on Friday as well as the new chairman of the PDP in Ebonyi State. He advised the new National Secretary to be firm and to provide leadership, saying: “For the newly-minted PDP National Secretary, I wrote to the BOT that fair … Read more

Ibadan Stampede: Agidigbo FM Chairman, Oriyomi Hamzat, Hospitalized

December 19, 2024 by admin

As a result of the tragic incident of a deadly stampede that occurred in Ibadan yesterday, Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat, the Chairman of Agidigbo FM in Ibadan, has been unconscious since yesterday (Wednesday) and taken to an undisclosed hospitalized Aonymous source stated that Hamzat is currently receiving medical care at an undisclosed hospital in Ibadan. The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the situation, shared that the incident causing Hamzat’s condition is due to the tragic event that occurred yesterday leaving about 35 persons, mainly children, dead and others injured. The shock from the event reportedly overwhelmed the popular radio broadcaster, leading to his current state of unconsciousness. “The chairman, Agidigbo FM, Ibadan, is currently unconscious and currently at an undisclosed hospital. “Due to the tragic event that happened yesterday, he could not handle the shock and he passed out,” the source said. The source, however, assured of providing further updates on the development.

Oriyomi Hamzat Overwhelmed In Tears As Crowd Celebrates His Return To Broadcasting Station

Ibadan Stampede Update: Ooni Of Ife’s Ex-Wife, Naomi Silekunola And Oriyomi Hamzat Granted Bail

Ibadan Stampede: Naomi’s Mother Decries Ex-Queen’s Detention, Seeks Tinubu’s Intervention

Ibadan Stampede: Makinde Cancels 57th Birthday Party

Ibadan Stampede: Agidigbo FM Chairman, Oriyomi Hamzat, Hospitalized

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