Ola Akinwunmi
Mrs. Funmilayo Ogunseyi, the mother of Naomi Silekunola, has made an emotional plea to President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians to intervene in her daughter’s detention. Naomi, an estranged wife of the Ooni of Ife, is facing charges alongside two others at the Iyaganku Magistrate Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, following a tragic stampede at a Christmas funfair that claimed the lives of 35 children.
In a heartfelt viral video, Mrs. Ogunseyi begged for mercy, stating that Naomi’s actions were purely humanitarian. She revealed that her daughter had been running outreach programs for over a decade aimed at helping the needy, elderly, children, and pregnant women across Nigeria.
Naomi, in collaboration with Oriyomi Hamzat, a popular Ibadan-based broadcaster and philanthropist, organized the charity event. However, the program was marred by a stampede at 6:30 am before Naomi arrived at the venue. Despite this, Naomi was detained and charged with murder, conspiracy, and negligence causing harm.
Mrs. Ogunseyi accused unnamed “powerful persons” of orchestrating her daughter’s ordeal and appealed directly to President Tinubu and influential Nigerians to intervene. She emphasized that Naomi is innocent and only came to show compassion. Naomi’s sister, Simi Oluwaseyi, also took to social media to question the alleged murder charges against her sibling, describing the situation as baffling and unjust.
The incident has sparked national outrage, with many calling for a thorough investigation to determine the true circumstances surrounding the tragedy. Similar outreaches in Abuja and Anambra State have also led to stampedes, resulting in loss of lives and injuries.
