The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has granted the bail applications filed by the ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife, Naomi Silekunola, owner of an indigenous radio Agidigbo FM, Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat and the Principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun, Abdullahi Fasasi.
The ruling was pronounced by Justice Kamorudeen Olawoyin of the Oyo State High Court, on Monday.
Oriyomi was granted N10 million bail and required to provide two sureties.
The court also ruled that his organisation must not broadcast the news.
The defendants argued their bail applications before the court last Tuesday but the court later ruled that the defendants should be remanded in prison till today (Monday) for a ruling on their bail application.
Last Tuesday, the defence team made a case for bail, arguing that the accused didn’t pose a flight risk and were willing to cooperate with the investigation.
However, the Oyo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abiodun Aikomo, strongly countered this motion, highlighting the seriousness of the charges and the need to ensure justice for the victims and their families.
Adekunle Shobaloju (SAN), counsel for one of the defendants, Hamzat Oriyomi, said, “Well, what we did was we filed an application that he should be admitted to bail pending arraignment, and the application was argued today.
The trio were being prosecuted over a stampede that occurred at the school, which left no fewer than thirty-five children died during the incident which happened on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.
Recall that an Oyo State Magistrate Court in Iyaganku had earlier ordered that the trio be remanded at the Agodi Correctional Facility.