By Okeke Eunice
The Oyo State High Court in Ibadan has approved the bail requests submitted by Naomi Silekunola, the ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife; Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat, the owner of Agidigbo FM, a well-known indigenous radio station; and Abdullahi Fasasi, the Principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun.
Justice Kamorudeen Olawoyin delivered the ruling on Monday.
Naomi was granted bail in the amount of N10 million, accompanied by two sureties.
Similarly, Oriyomi and Fasasi were each granted N10 million bail, also with two sureties.
The judge further instructed the defendants to surrender their passports to the court and prohibited them from giving any interviews.
The defendants presented their bail applications before the court last Tuesday, but the court ruled that they should remain in custody until today (Monday) for a decision on their bail requests.
During the hearing, the defense team argued for bail, stating that the accused were not a flight risk and were willing to cooperate with the investigation.
However, Abiodun Aikomo, the Oyo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, strongly opposed the request, emphasizing the gravity of the charges and the importance of ensuring justice for the victims and their families.
Adekunle Shobaloju (SAN), the lawyer representing one of the defendants, Hamzat Oriyomi, explained, “We filed an application for bail pending arraignment, which was argued today.
The court listened to all the arguments, and the ruling was deferred until January 13. Essentially, we believe he should be granted bail based on specific grounds, which I prefer not to elaborate on here.”
The defendants were arrested in connection with the tragic children’s party in December 2024, which resulted in the deaths of at least 35 children due to a stampede at the Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has insisted that those responsible for the stampede must stand trial, though he also expressed no objection to the suspects being granted bail.