Ibadan Stampede: Ooni’s ex-queen detained, Tinubu orders probe as deaths toll rises

A former queen of the Ooni of Ife, Prophetess Naomi Silekunola, and six others are in the custody of the Oyo State Police Command over the stampede that claimed the lives of over 30 children on Wednesday in Ibadan.

The police confirmed the number of deaths as 35, with six others still in critical condition at the hospital following the pandemonium.

A non-governmental organisation, Women in Need of Guidance and Support, founded by Naomi Silekunola had organised a funfair at the Islamic High School, Basorun, Ibadan on Wednesday.

However, the event turned tragic as a crowd thronged the venue, resulting in the stampede that led to the deaths.

Eyewitnesses blamed the deaths on a lack of organization to keep the crowd orderly as they rushed to gain access to the venue of the event reportedly organised by Silekunola and an Ibadan-based broadcaster, Oriyomi Hamzat.

It was further gathered that while the organisers made provision for 5,000 children, over 7, 500 participants turned up for the event.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, said in a statement, “Among those detained are Silekunola, aged 31, and Fasasi Abdulahi, the 56-year-old principal of the school.

“The other individuals arrested include Genesis Christopher, Tanimowo Moruf, Anisolaja Olabode, Idowu Ibrahim, and Abiola Oluwatimilehin, with ages ranging from 25 to 52 years.

“The stampede resulted in the tragic loss of 35 minors, with six additional children reported to be in critical condition and receiving various medical interventions.

“So far, 35 minors have been documented dead while six others are critically injured.”

“In light of the incident, the police have increased their presence in the area to maintain peace and security, while residents have been advised not to panic, as police patrols will be heightened to prevent any potential unrest.

“Residents around the area are advised not to panic as they would witness high-level patrols and visible police presence,” the statement emphasised.

The command expressed its condolences to the families affected by the tragedy.

Oyo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, said parents had been granted custody of the bodies of the victims.

He said, “To the best of our knowledge, the parents are in custody of the bodies of the victims. And in any case, many of them demanded that their corpses be released to them.”

A survivor who identified herself as Iya Ayomide, said, “Honestly, I regret my action, and I will never do that again in my life. I made that decision late on Tuesday night. I was staying at Agbowo in the Ibadan North Local Government Area of the state.

“A co-tenant approached me that night that we should go to the event the following day (Wednesday), and I informed my husband, who permitted me to go alongside my children.

“I left home a few minutes after 5 am with my two children. One is three-and-a-half years and the second seven years.

“We got there around 5:40 am. By then, the whole area was tense. The turnout was massive. The organisers locked the gate and prevented everybody from gaining access to the venue of the programme.

“Shortly after, Oriyomi Hamzat came in and ordered that the gate be left open so that we could gain entrance into the venue. But because we were not patient enough, everybody tried to gain access to the venue at the same time, resulting in a stampede.

“For almost five minutes, I couldn’t see my daughter. About five people already covered her. They were trampling on me as well. I managed to locate her and started biting them one after the other before I was able to rescue her.

“As I rescued her, someone collected her from me and rushed down to the ambulance, where they gave her first aid. She is recovering very fast now. The other child is hale and hearty,” she narrated.

Another one said, “Though my child is recovering, I regret all my actions, but thank God for sparing our lives.

“It was a terrible experience that I will never wish on anybody, even my enemy. I didn’t know if I was dead or not, because it got to a stage where I was asking someone if I was still alive.”

Following the incident, the owner of Agidigbo FM, Ibadan, Oriyomi Hamzat, has been reportedly hospitalised.

Oriyomi’s elder brother, Fuhad Hamzat, said due to his inability to grasp the magnitude of the incident, the Agidigbo founder became unconscious and had to be hospitalised.

Meanwhile, the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has expressed sympathy with the Oyo State Government, and organisers of the children’s party over the loss of lives.

In a statement signed by Ooni’s spokesman, Moses Olafare, and obtained in Osogbo on Thursday, the monarch also commiserated with Hamzat over the incident.

“While at the Ile Oodua here as a queen, Miss Naomi Silekuola Ogunseyi demonstrated love and care to the children of Ile-Ife through similar events, which she executed passionately to give succour to children of indigent parents every December, during periods like this.

“The House of Oduduwa pledges to support all efforts aimed at bringing solace and healing to those affected by this devastating loss.

“The House of Oduduwa calls for immediate action to prevent such unfortunate incidents in the future, emphasising the need for rigorous adherence to safety standards and child welfare policies in educational institutions.

“While the situation calls for solemn reflection and collective responsibility, we would want to express dismay at the unprofessional conduct of some bloggers, who have chosen to sensationalise the tragic incident rather than uphold journalistic integrity.

“We urge all media practitioners to exercise restraint, compassion and professionalism in reporting sensitive issues, as their narratives significantly influence public perception and healing processes,” the statement added.

The palace urged the former queen and other organisers of the fanfare to remain committed to doing such laudable programmes for the children but with better plans and execution strategies in the future.