No fewer than 12,000 supporters of Prophetess Naomi Ogunwusi, the estranged wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, have demanded justice for her, describing her arrest, arraignment and remand in a custodial facility as unfair. Naomi was arrested alongside the Chief Executive Officer of Agidigbo FM , Oriyomi Hamzat, 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 prophetess, Hamzat, and the Principal of Islamic High School, Ibadan, where the event was held, Fasasi Abdullahi, are currently remanded at the Agodi Custodial Centre by Chief Magistrate Olabisi Ogunkanmi of Magistrate’s Court 1, Iyaganku, Ibadan.
The defendants were arraigned on four counts bordering on conspiracy, causing death by negligence, endangering public safety, and failing to provide adequate security and medical facilities at the event. Naomi, Hamzat, and Abdullahi pleaded not guilty to the charges. The ex-queen had planned to host 5,000 children, aged 0-13, across Ibadan for free under the aegis of the Women in Need of Guidance and Support Foundation with the funfair.
The programme was scheduled to start at 10 am, while police were expected to be at the venue by 8 am. Reports indicated that the event was initially planned for 5,000 children, but over 7,500 children showed up. Sunday PUNCH gathered that the stampede occurred as children and their parents attempted to break through the main g.
