Naomi, the former wife of Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ojaja 11, the Ooni of Ife, was on Tuesday, remanded in prison custody over the Ibadan funfair stampede in which 32 children died during a stampede

A Chief Magistrate Court in Iyaganku, Ibadan, ordered the remand of Naomi and two others in connection with last week’s tragic incident at Bashorun Islamic High School.

The others are Abdullahi Fasasi, the school’s principal and Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat, the proprietor of Agidigbo FM.

Presided over by Chief Magistrate Olabisi Ogunkanmi, the court’s ruling came, following their arraignment by the Oyo State Police Command.

The proceedings took place under heightened security, with a crowd of family members and interested parties gathered outside the courthouse.

The defendants face four-count charges related to the incident, as outlined by the police prosecutor, who cited a violation of Section 324 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

After hearing the charges, Chief Magistrate Ogunkanmi ordered that the trio be held at Agodi Correctional Centre while awaiting further guidance from the state prosecutor.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday, December 23, held his first Presidential Media Chat in Lagos, addressing pressing issues in the country.

The interview, which aired on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), covered topics ranging from security and tax reforms to the removal of fuel subsidies and recent stampede incidents.

In the session, the president also responded to critiques of his cabinet size, shared his thoughts on the nation’s economic direction, and urged Nigerians to trust his administration.

Details:

On Budget Deficit and Infrastructure
Acknowledging the country’s infrastructure challenges, he stated,
“Yes, we have headed the wrong road in the past. I don’t want to look at that. I want to think about prosperity for our country. I want to think about tomorrow, today.

“We have a serious infrastructure deficit. If you don’t put money on a long-term matching project, a long-term business, you don’t have the short-term to manage a long-term business. It’s not smart. That’s wrong.”

On Fuel Subsidy Removal
Bola Ahmed Tinubu stood firm on his decision to remove fuel subsidies, a move that has sparked debates nationwide. He noted:
“I don’t have any regrets removing fuel subsidy. We can’t be subsidising the entire West Africa sub-region. Either we slice it in half or in bits, we still have to completely remove it.”

On Tax Reforms
Despite opposition to his administration’s tax reform policies, Bola Ahmed Tinubu was clear about their necessity:
“Tax reform is here to stay. We cannot continue to do what we were doing yesterday in today’s economy. The essence of the tax reform bills is to eliminate the influence of colonial rule on Nigeria’s economy.”

On Recent Stampede Incidents
Addressing the tragic stampede incidents tied to charitable giveaways, the president expressed condolences to affected families. He said:
“Condolences to those who lost a family member, but it is good to give. I have been giving out foodstuff, commodities, etc., in Bourdillon. If you know you don’t have enough to give, don’t attempt or publicise it.”

On Reforms and the Future of Nigeria
The president reaffirmed his commitment to ongoing reforms, urging Nigerians to see the bigger picture of long-term growth and prosperity:
“We want this country to grow; there is no other way out of it unless we invest in today’s prosperity and opportunity.”

The president also addressed criticisms of his administration’s “bloated” cabinet, defending the decision to maintain its current size. “I am not ready to shrink the size of my cabinet,” he stated, adding that efficiency has guided his ministerial appointments.

The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has condemned the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for what it described as reckless and despicable comments on the death of many Nigerians from stampedes last week.

According to a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by the national publicity secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, “The tragedies have brought together all well-meaning Nigerians in mourning and sober reflection on how the incidents might have been avoided through better planning and organization by all involved. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the victims and their families.”

The APC expressed bitterness with PDP, accusing it of using the death of citizens to attract cheap political gains over the unfortunate stampede that took place in Oyo, Federal Capital Territory and Anambra.

APC said at a time of national grief over stampedes the PDP seized the moment to engage in callous political chicanery, saying rather than genuinely commiserate with the victims and their families, the PDP chose to politicize the grief of the victims by blaming the stampedes on the APC-led administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“It is grossly indecent, insensitive and despicable for the PDP to exploit these tragic incidents in a senseless attack against the administration that has devoted itself to fixing the ruins of nearly two decades of PDP administration. Nigerians have not forgotten the tragic stampede at the ill-fated Nigerian Immigration Service recruitment exercise in 2014 at the Abuja stadium, under the watch of the PDP administration, that left many desperate job seekers dead and scores injured. The PDP’s allegations only remind us of its sordid record of maladministration and utter incompetence,” the party said

APC said the PDP is either mischievous or totally out of touch with reality to suggest that President Bola Tinubu-led administration has not shown commitment to Nigerians’ welfare. For an administration that has invested hugely in alternative sources of energy and conversion of vehicles to compressed natural gas (CNG); introduced the Credit Corps scheme and Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND); reviewed workers’ salaries and corps members’ allowances upward; sustained annual free and subsidized transportation fares for Nigerians during the yuletide; approved grants for farmers and small and medium entreprises (SMEs) and a slew of other humanitarian interventions, there is no doubt that this is the most people-centric administration in history.

“Laughably, the PDP claimed that APC’s policies ruptured a “once thriving economy.” For years, successive PDP administrations operated a phantom economy wired with complex distortions and suffocating corruption while deluding Nigerians into thinking that the economy was healthy. Changing course away from the lies and deception of the PDP, President Bola Tinubu embarked on the boldest and most courageous programme of reform to rebuild our country’s economy, and dismantling obstacles to true prosperity and sustainability. The economy is rebounding steadily now as reforms continue to yield wholesome dividends.

“We commend President Tinubu for calling off his scheduled activities in response to, and in honour of the victims of, the incidents. Again, we commiserate with families that lost their loved ones and wish the injured speedy recovery”, APC stated.