The mother of a former wife of the Ooni of Ife, Naomi Silekunola, Funmilayo Ogunseyi, has called on President Bola Tinubu and well-meaning Nigerians to intervene in her daughter’s legal troubles following the stampede in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Naija News reports that Naomi is among three individuals taken before the Iyaganku Magistrate Court in Ibadan in connection with a tragic funfair stampede that resulted in the death of 35 children last week.

The court has ordered the accused to be held in prison on charges related to conspiracy, negligent actions causing harm, and a lack of adequate security and medical facilities at the event.

In a video shared Online, Ogunseyi pleaded for mercy, asserting that her daughter’s intentions were humanitarian; sadly, it inadvertently led to the stampede and subsequent deaths.

She stressed that Naomi had organised numerous outreach programmes over the past decade to assist the needy, elderly, children, and pregnant women across Nigeria.

Naomi’s mother said crowds had gathered hours before the programme’s start time of 10 a.m., noting that the stampede began around 6:30 a.m., long before her daughter arrived at the venue.

Funmilayo alleged that some powerful persons were behind her daughter’s ordeal and appealed to Tinubu to come to their aid.

She said, “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.

“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.

“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.”