Some Yoruba elders under the aegis of Kaaro Oojiire Omo Oodua Foundation, KOOOF, says the detention of the ex-queen, Naomi Silekunola is an abomination in Yorubaland and also a blemish on the ethnic group.
The elders said her detention, that of the popular broadcaster, Hamzat Oriyomi and the Principal of the Islamic High School, Bashorun, Mr Abdullahi Fasasi, was unjust calling for their immediate release.
Recall that the ex-queen, who was married to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Eniitan Ogunwusi before she left over some irreconcilable differences, was among others detained for the tragic funfair in Ibadan about a fortnight ago leading to the death of 35 minors.
The group, in a statement by its Chairman, Asiwaju Olu Mayungbe, on Sunday, insisted that the circumstances surrounding their being remanded were alarming and raised questions about the fairness of the justice system in the country.
Mayungbe said: “Going to a month, Queen Naomi has been incarcerated, a situation deemed an abomination and a blemish on the Yorùbá race. We weep for the Yorùbá people, humanitarian givers, families of the victims, and those wrongly remanded.
“The irony is glaring: Parents who, out of desperation, threw their children over the fence, leading to their deaths, are not being held accountable. Instead, the humanitarians who attempted to assist are being unjustly incarcerated and remanded without trial.
“This blatant disregard for human rights and the Rule of Law sends a chilling message to other would-be humanitarians: that their efforts to provide aid and support to the vulnerable will be met with persecution and incarceration.”
While demanding justice, the group urged the government to “immediately release the unjustly detained humanitarians, provide compensation and support to the affected families and address the root causes of poverty and economic hardship in our society.”
