Ibadan Stampede: Mother Of Ooni’s Ex-Wife Begs For Daughter’s Release
2 years ago 2 min read
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Funmilayo Ogunseyi, the mother of Queen Naomi Silekunola, the ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife, has appealed to Nigerians to intervene in her daughter’s ongoing legal battle over a tragic stampede in Ibadan.
Silekunola, alongside Oriyomi Hamzat, the CEO of Agidigbo FM, and Fasasi Abdullahi, the principal of the Islamic High School, was remanded in custody by an Ibadan magistrate court on Tuesday, December 24.
The defendants face a four-count charge of conspiracy, negligent acts causing harm, and failure to ensure adequate security and medical provisions at the event.
THE WHISTLER reported that the incident happened last Wednesday, December 28, during a funfair organised by Silekunola at the Islamic High School in Ibadan.
The event, which aimed to cater to 5,000 people, turned tragic when a stampede claimed the lives of over 35 people, mostly children.
In a video shared on Instagram on Wednesday, December 25, Ogunseyi described her daughter’s dedication to humanitarian causes as “Innocent”, and stated that Silekunola had organized similar events in the past without incident.
“Have mercy on me. Mothers have mercy. Come to my rescue. My child only came to Ibadan to help the needy. This is not her first time. It was never our intention.
“Please, don’t allow Naomi to be imprisoned. She is innocent. She was only doing humanitarian work,” Ogunseyi tearfully pleaded in Yoruba.
She explained that large crowds had gathered at the venue long before the event was scheduled to begin and insisted that her daughter was not at the scene when the stampede occurred.
“Please have mercy on me. Naomi is innocent. She went to the police station herself. They have taken my child to prison. She is not a murderer,” Ogunseyi said, while extending sympathies to the families of the victims.
Ogunseyi called on well-meaning Nigerians and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and secure her daughter’s release. She described her daughter as a philanthropist who never anticipated such a tragedy.
“Please help me beg well-meaning Nigerians and President Bola Tinubu to come to the rescue of my child,” she added.
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The court has yet to set a trial date, as the police continued their investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, there have been mixed reactions, with some expressing sympathy for Silekunola’s intentions, while others call for accountability for the loss of lives.
