Mrs. Funmilayo Ogunseyi, Naomi Silekunola’s mother and former wife of the Ooni of Ife, has urged President Bola Tinubu and well-meaning Nigerians to intercede in her daughter’s legal troubles.
Silekunola is one of three people brought before the Iyaganku Magistrate Court in Ibadan in connection with a terrible funfair stampede last week that killed 35 children.
The court has already remanded the accused to prison on allegations of conspiracy, careless conduct causing harm, and failure to provide proper security and medical services for the event.
Mrs. Ogunseyi asked for forgiveness in an emotive video that went viral, claiming that her daughter’s goals were solely humanitarian.
According to her, Naomi had planned various outreach activities over the previous decade to assist the underprivileged, elderly, children, and pregnant women across Nigeria.
She lamented that her daughter’s kindness had accidentally led to the rush and ensuing deaths.
“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,” Ogunseyi said tearfully.
She narrated the events leading to the tragedy, noting that crowds had gathered hours before the program’s scheduled start time of 10 a.m.
According to her, the stampede began around 6:30 a.m., long before Naomi arrived at the venue.
Mrs. Ogunseyi further revealed that Naomi, who was reportedly unwell, fainted during police interrogation and remains in custody despite her fragile health.
“The program 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.
Bursting into tears, Ogunseyi appealed to Tinubu and other influential Nigerians to intervene. She claimed that her daughter’s predicament was orchestrated 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.
Mrs. Ogunseyi also extended her sympathies to the families of the children, underlining that the tragedy was unintentional.
