Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has vowed that those responsible for the tragic stampede that killed 35 minors during a funfair at the Islamic High School in Basorun, Ibadan, on December 18, 2024, will face legal action.
Addressing attendees at the annual interfaith service marking the beginning of 2025 at the Governor’s Office Secretariat, Makinde emphasized his administration’s commitment to delivering justice for the victims and preventing future incidents of this nature.
Eight individuals were initially arrested in connection with the stampede. Three of them—including the former queen of the Ooni of Ife, Naomi Ogunwusi, Agidigbo FM owner Oriyomi Hamzat, and Basorun High School principal Fasasi Abdullahi Babatunde—are currently in detention at the Agodi Custodial Centre, Ibadan, awaiting a court hearing later this month.
Responding to criticisms of his decision to prosecute the event’s organizers, Makinde said he had received numerous calls urging leniency but remained resolute.
“Thirty-five innocent lives were lost; such a tragedy must never be allowed to happen again in Oyo State, by God’s grace,” Makinde stated.
While acknowledging that similar incidents in Anambra and the Federal Capital Territory had not led to arrests, he emphasized, “Oyo State is not Anambra, and justice must prevail, no matter who is involved.”
Makinde also reassured that the judiciary would oversee the case: “If bail is granted pending trial, that’s within the court’s jurisdiction, but a trial must take place. Even if the rest of the country disregards the rule of law, Oyo State will stand firm in upholding it.”
