The Oyo State Government has dropped criminal charges levelled Ooni of Ife’s ex-queen, Naomi Silekunola; the proprietor of Agidigbo FM, Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat; and the principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan, Abdullahi Fasasi.
The suspects were arrested in connection with the tragic event of a stampede which occured in December 2024 claiming the lives of about 35 children during a funfair organised by the duo of Naomi Silekunola and Oriyomi Hamzat and hosted at the Islamic High School where Mr Abdullahi Fasasi was principal.
It was a moment of relief for the defendants as smiles radiated their faces as they exchange pleasantries with one another.
The Oyo State Attorney-General, Abiodun Aikomo, confirmed the development on Thursday while addressing pressmen after the court session.
According to him, “It was an unfortunate incident that led to the death of many. And you see, in law, whenever death occurs and the circumstances are not natural, the law will take its course. So the state responded by filing charges against the persons implicated in the investigation.
“In the course of doing that, we actually wanted to prosecute but the affected persons showed empathy. They showed compassion. And as far as human beings can do, they try to persuade the feelings of the affected parties.
“And the circumstance, we felt, the essence of prosecution is not to kill people or persecute them. It is in the interest of justice to discontinue these charges, and that is what happened today.”
This withdrawal is coming after a period of intense legal battles which have greeted the unfortunate incident.
