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 gate and scale the school fence to enter the venue at all costs.
Naomi and Hamzat have been in custody since the incident turned disastrous.
However, the ex-queen’s supporters continue to call for her release, arguing that she was carrying out a charitable programme to bring smiles to the faces of underprivileged children.
Thousands of Naomi’s supporters signed an online petition to demand fairness in the judicial process concerning her matter.
The petition, which started on Thursday, had gathered 12,000 signatures as of the time of filing this report on Saturday.
Peoplesmind
