Ibadan Stampede: Ooni of Ife Ex-Wife Queen Naomi Collapses in Police Custody, Details Emerge
- The Ibadan stampede that claimed the lives of 35 children and injured six others has continued to dominate the discussion of the day
- This comes amid reports that one of the organisers of the funfair, Prophetess Naomi Silekunola, the former queen of the Ooni of Ife, had been hospitalised
- Prophetess Naomi was reportedly under police investigation at the Force Headquarters in Ibadan when the incident occurred, after which she was rushed to the Police Hospital in Eleyele for medical treatment
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The tragic incident at a funfair in Ibadan took a devastating turn, claiming the lives of 35 children in a stampede and leaving six others injured.
Reports said Prophetess Naomi Silekunola, the ex-queen of the Ooni of Ife, and Oriyomi Hamzat, an Ibadan-based broadcaster, organised the event. It was initially planned for 5,000 children, but over 7,500 children showed up, worsening the situation.
Source: Twitter
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has assumed control of the investigation into the incident. Naomi Silekunola, who was reportedly arrested and later collapsed on Friday, was subsequently rushed to the Police Hospital in Eleyele for medical treatment.
Earlier, the Chairman of Agidigbo FM, Hamzat, was also taken to the hospital.
Ibadan stampede: How many people have police arrested?
The Oyo State Police Command has arrested eight individuals in connection with the tragic incident, including Naomi Silekunola and the Principal of Islamic High School, Ibadan. The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, with the Deputy Commissioner of Police overseeing the investigations.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and directed the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. He stressed the importance of determining whether negligence or intentional actions contributed to the disaster.
The incident has triggered widespread outrage and mourning, with many demanding accountability and implementing stricter safety measures for public events. The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has also extended his condolences to the families of the deceased children and pledged to support efforts to provide comfort and healing to those affected.
Ibadan stampede: Lawyer faults poor organisation
Okanlawon Gaffar, a legal practitioner, who spoke with legit.ng on the incident, accused the organisers of poor organisation and disregard for human lives. He said:
"A situation like this is fueled by a lack of proper organisation, crowd management, and disregard for the sanctity of human life. Because the organisers of this goodwill action have considered all these things, they would have better managed the crowd."
Ibadan stampede: Video of scene after incident
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Oyo state and Nigerians at large are still feeling sober about the stampede that occurred at the state capital, with at least 32 children's deaths recorded.
The incident occurred at the Islamic High School, Basorun, during an end-of-year event organized by Prophetess Naomi Shikemi and Oriyomi Hamzat, an Ibadan-based broadcaster.
A video of the scene after the incident emerged, showing the road leading to the venue littered with children's shoes, caps, and clothes.
Proofreading by James, Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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Source: Legit.ng
