Mrs. Funmilayo Ogunseyi, the mother of Naomi Silekunola, the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, has called on President Bola Tinubu and well-meaning Nigerians to intervene in her daughter’s legal troubles following a tragic stampede in Ibadan that claimed the lives of 35 children.
Silekunola, along with two other individuals, was arraigned before the Iyaganku Magistrate Court in Ibadan in connection with the incident, which occurred during a funfair event last week.
The court ordered that the accused be remanded in prison, facing charges of conspiracy, negligent acts causing harm, and failure to provide adequate security and medical facilities for the event.
In an emotional video that has since gone viral, Mrs. Ogunseyi made an impassioned plea for mercy, stressing that her daughter’s motives were entirely humanitarian.
She explained that Naomi had organised numerous outreach programmes over the past decade, aimed at assisting vulnerable groups, including the elderly, children, and pregnant women across Nigeria.
“I ask for mercy. Mothers, please have mercy. Come to my rescue. Don’t let my life be destroyed. My daughter came to Ibadan to help the needy; this wasn’t her first time. We’ve travelled across the country helping children and the vulnerable. I sympathise with the families who lost their children; it was never our intention. Please don’t let Naomi be imprisoned, she is innocent. She only came to show compassion,” Mrs. Ogunseyi said tearfully.
She recounted the chaotic events leading up to the tragedy, revealing that crowds had gathered long before the event’s scheduled start time of 10 a.m.
According to her, the stampede began around 6:30 a.m., well before Naomi arrived at the venue.
“The programme was supposed to start at 10 a.m., but people began arriving the day before. By 6:30 a.m., the crowd became uncontrollable. Naomi wasn’t even there yet. I got a call about the chaos while I was still asleep. My phone number was on the event flyer, so I was contacted. Naomi, her elder brother, and I immediately went to the police station to report the incident, but she was detained and later charged with murder,” she explained, breaking down in tears.
Mrs. Ogunseyi also revealed that Naomi, who was reportedly unwell at the time, fainted during police questioning and remains in custody despite her fragile health.
She appealed directly to President Tinubu, asking for intervention in what she described as a case that was being manipulated by “powerful persons.”
“They have taken my child to prison. The court was full of policemen. I don’t know where else to turn. They say her ordeal is an ‘order from above.’ Please, I beg those in power to release her. She is not a killer; she came to help. Naomi is fragile and sick. President Tinubu, I beg you, come to our aid,” she implored.
While expressing her heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their children in the stampede, Mrs. Ogunseyi insisted that the tragedy was an unfortunate accident and was never intended by Naomi or the organisers.
The incident has sparked widespread public attention, with many expressing sympathy for the families of the deceased, as well as concern over the legal proceedings involving Silekunola.
