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The Oyo State Government has officially dropped all charges against Naomi Silekunola, a former wife of the Ooni of Ife; Oriyomi Hamzat, owner of Agidigbo FM; and Abdullahi Fasasi, principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan.
The trio had been facing legal action in connection with the tragic stampede at a children’s funfair in December 2024, which claimed at least 35 lives.
Following the court’s decision on Thursday, March 20, the defendants were seen visibly relieved, exchanging smiles and pleasantries as they walked free.
Oyo State Attorney General Abiodun Aikomo confirmed the dismissal of the charges, explaining the reasoning behind the decision.
“It was an unfortunate incident that led to the death of many,” he stated. “In law, whenever death occurs under unnatural circumstances, the law must take its course. The state responded by filing charges against those implicated in the investigation.”
However, Aikomo emphasised that legal action was not meant to be punitive but to serve justice.
“The affected persons showed empathy and compassion toward the victims' families. As far as human beings can, they tried to console the affected parties,” he said.
“The essence of prosecution is not to kill or persecute people. In the interest of justice, we decided to discontinue the charges.”
With the case now struck out by the court, all three individuals have been cleared of any legal proceedings related to the tragedy.
The decision officially concludes the highly publicized case that had sparked widespread discussion about event safety and accountability.