Mrs. Funmilayo Ogunseyi, the mother of Naomi Silekunola, has called on President Bola Tinubu and compassionate Nigerians to help secure her daughter’s release from detention.
Naomi, the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, is among three individuals facing legal charges following the tragic incident that claimed the lives of 35 children.
The Iyaganku Magistrate Court in Ibadan has ordered Naomi’s remand on accusations of conspiracy, negligence, and failure to ensure safety at the event.
However, Mrs. Ogunseyi has passionately defended her daughter, asserting that Naomi’s intentions were purely humanitarian and that she had no hand in the tragedy.
Speaking in an emotional video widely shared on social media, Mrs. Ogunseyi stated, “Have mercy on me. Mothers have mercy. Come to my rescue. Don’t let my life be destroyed. My child only came to Ibadan to help the needy; this was not her first time. We have 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 recounted the circumstances leading to the incident, explaining that the crowd had begun gathering hours before the scheduled start time of 10 a.m. The stampede, she noted, occurred at around 6:30 a.m., long before Naomi arrived.
“The programme was meant to begin at 10 a.m., but people started arriving the day before. By 6:30 a.m., the crowd became uncontrollable. Naomi wasn’t even there yet. I received a call about the chaos while still asleep. My phone number was on the event flyer, so I was the one 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,” Ogunseyi narrated.
Mrs. Ogunseyi also claimed that “powerful persons” might be behind her daughter’s ordeal and expressed fears of a politically motivated plot.
Calling on President Tinubu and other prominent figures, she tearfully appealed for intervention, saying, “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.
