Ibadan Stampede: Video Proves Govt Aware Of Funfair
No fewer than 12,000 supporters of Prophetess Naomi Ogunwusi, the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, have demanded justice for her.
The supporters, in a petition they signed online, described her arrest, arraignment, and remand in a custodial facility as unfair.
Osun Defender reports that Naomi was arrested alongside the Chief Executive Officer of Agidigbo FM, Oriyomi Hamzat, and the Principal of Islamic High School, Basorun, Fasasi Abdullahi, after the stampede at a funfair they organised in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, turned tragic, claiming the lives of 35 children on December 18, 2024.
The trio are currently remanded at the Agodi Custodial Centre by Chief Magistrate Olabisi Ogunkanmi of Magistrate’s Court 1, Iyaganku, Ibadan.
The ex-queen’s supporters while calling for her release, argued that she was carrying out a charitable programme to bring smiles to the faces of underprivileged children.
Over 12,000 people have signed the online petition which started on Thursday as of the time of filing this report.
The originator of the petition, Yetunde Ola, stated that Naomi’s actions were driven by an earnest intention to alleviate the suffering of hungry children, but she found herself “unfairly entangled in a web of legal accusations that were both disheartening and misplaced.”
“We, the supporters of Queen Naomi, are seeking justice. It is paramount that her court cases are addressed with utmost impartiality and integrity. We must hold our judicial systems accountable for their actions and ensure that they remain transparent, fair, and unbiased in their proceedings.
“Our plea is, thus, simple: Give Queen Silekunola Naomi a fair trial, unaffected by bias and calumny. We present this petition to highlight the necessity for a just legal process that respects the evidence and operates in compliance with the principles of justice.
“We reinforce our commitment to stand by Queen Naomi, championing justice, fairness, and truth,” she said.
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Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government has denied that the ex-queen is being persecuted, stating that there was no reason to persecute the prophetess.
Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the state Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, said those spreading such insinuations would be unfair if they expected the government to interfere with the judicial process.
He also denied that the government knew about the programme.
He said, “It is a laughable insinuation. What is the motive for victimising the lady? We barely know her name. The government does not know anything about her apart from the normal stuff on social media. We have no relationship with her in any manner. There is no altar of political conflict or anything that looks like it between the Oyo State Government and the woman.
“The government did not officially know anything about her enterprise, what she does, or what she planned to do in Oyo State. We were not formally notified because there is no documentation to show that the government was given notification of what she wanted to do through the normal time-tested processes. So, she remained an unknown quantity and faceless to this administration.
“Are they asking us to meddle with the judiciary? A case was taken to court. Even a government official, the principal of a secondary school, was equally arraigned and detained because 35 of our children died.
“And there are no draconian issues extraneous to a normal course of justice on the ground.
“So, we will advise, therefore, that those who are engaged in such meddlesomeness allow the course of justice to prevail. That is the beauty of democracy. No matter whose ox is gored, for democracy to survive and thrive, justice must take its course.”
However, a video of a meeting between the Oyo State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Toyin Balogun, and Naomi has surfaced online.
The meeting was held a day before the programme.
In the video, Balogun is seen and heard asking the ex-queen about the programme. After Naomi explained, the commissioner promised to attend the event.
Balogun said, “It is a fantastic intervention, I must say. It’s laudable to have an aspiration to put smiles on the faces of children, particularly the ones I call the special children. You are probably going to have to do this again next year; you are probably going to have to come back.
“On behalf of the Oyo State Government, on behalf of the Ministry of Women Affairs, we will be looking forward to doing something collaborative for both the women and the children in Ibadan, going forward. It is a laudable venture, one we are proud of and happy to be part of.”
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
